January 28, 2025 — What winter catch is delicate in flavor with hints of ocean in every morsel — and very, very pricey? Atlantic scallops are breaking the piggy bank this season, Mainers are reporting, and harder to find.
A pound of 10- to 20-count at the Ellsworth Shaw’s was advertised this week at $34.99, while some locals who usually buy directly from fishermen, for about $20 a pound, are finding them unavailable.
Brooklin scallop fisherman David Tarr said those customers can ask in March and he might have some to sell to them. But for now, the large, prized U10s — that’s under 10 sea scallops to a pound — are what he’s catching and selling to his dealer for significantly more than $20.
And plenty of Maine fishermen are selling to the market in New Bedford for $45 to $53 a pound for U10s.
“New Bedford is just starving for scallops,” Tarr said. “That’s the long and short of it.”
Those scallops are flying out of Maine and to restaurants nationwide where they are prized by chefs and diners who are willing to and can pay the higher price.