Scallops have simple but functional nervous systems. Dredging and aquaculture handling cause physical damage, and their welfare merits consideration under current sentience frameworks.
While scallop sentience is less established than in fish or crustaceans, their nociceptive responses and escape behaviour indicate some capacity for harm avoidance. Dredging causes physical damage to mantle and shell, and the survival of injured scallops in the wild has welfare implications. Shell drilling for aquaculture suspension is performed without anaesthetic. As regulatory frameworks extend to cover molluscs, welfare standards for scallop handling and slaughter will require evidence-based development.