Scallops are increasingly farmed in suspension culture and ranched on seabed areas, with welfare considerations for both the scallops and associated habitat and bycatch.
Scallop welfare for the scallops themselves is low based on current scientific understanding — their nervous systems are very simple. However, dredge harvesting of wild scallops causes major habitat destruction and bycatch of non-target species including starfish, sea urchins, juvenile fish and other invertebrates. Suspension-cultured scallops avoid this environmental harm. The primary welfare case for scallop aquaculture over dredging relates to ecosystem and bycatch welfare rather than scallop welfare per se.