Easton et al, 2026, Evaluation of Catch Performance and Environmental Impact of Technical Gear Modifications for a More Sustainable Scallop Dredging Fisher WILEY
Easton et al. (2026) assessed 4 innovative scallop dredge designs in the UK scallop fishing sector and found that combining N-Viro dredges with skid belly bags could reduce fuel consumption by around 30%, lowered seabed impact by up to 55%, and reduced catches of undersized scallops and stones, while maintaining commercial scallop catches. The study demonstrates that gear innovations can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of scallop dredging without compromising fishing efficiency.
