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Partly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms becoming likely this afternoon. High 86F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 73F. Winds light and variable.

Scallops are bivalve mollusks that filter feed for sustenance. Those harvesting the silver-dollar-sized mollusks must separate the two halves of the shell to remove the meat.

Scallops are bivalve mollusks that filter feed for sustenance. Those harvesting the silver-dollar-sized mollusks must separate the two halves of the shell to remove the meat.

Scalloping is big business in Citrus County and tourist officials want to make sure the activity remains viable for the long haul.

Tourist Development Council members will meet Wednesday to discuss tweaking the current bag limits to ensure scoop yields remain high.

Low scallop numbers have caused some concern and the county visitors bureau put together a presentation to address those concerns.

Scallop season runs July 1 to Sept. 24 and July annually produces one of the highest average hotel occupancy percentages for Citrus County.

“Therefore, the protection and sustainability is vital to the long-term health of this resource,” according to the presentation.

The current bag limit for scallops in Citrus County is 2 gallons per person of whole scallops per day and 10 gallons per vessel per day.

Citrus County is considering creating a three-tier bag limit as follows:

July: 1 gallon per person and 5 gallons per vessel

August: 2 gallons per person, 10 gallons per vessel

September: 3 gallons per person, 15 gallons per vessel

A scallop’s lifespan is generally one year. They reproduce as the water begins to cool. Studies show the higher bag limit at the end of the season will present less of an impact to the sustainability of the resource, according to the TDC report.

Because scallops have a high rate of mortality, removing fewer of them in the early part of the season could increase the number that reproduce each year.

Plus, the scallops harvested at the end of the season are most often larger than those at the beginning. That results in fewer scallops needed to reach the limits and gives a potentially greater chance for any remaining scallops to reproduce, the report said.

The TDC will discuss other options to safeguard the scallop industry when they meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday in room 166 at the Lecanto Government Building, 3600 W. Sovereign Path.

Michael D. Bates is a staff writer with the Citrus County Chronicle and can be reached at mbates@chronicleonline.com.

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