Scallop aquaculture is expanding globally as wild stocks decline. While scallop sentience is uncertain, their welfare during farming, transport, and processing merits precautionary consideration.
Scallop welfare occupies the same uncertain territory as other bivalves — the available evidence suggests low probability of conscious suffering based on neural architecture, but uncertainty remains. Their escape swimming response to predator stimuli is more complex than simple valve closure and raises the possibility of some motivational system underlying the behaviour. A precautionary approach to scallop welfare includes minimising unnecessary handling, avoiding prolonged air exposure during transport, and using rapid processing methods. From a comparative perspective, scallops represent a substantially lower welfare risk than vertebrates, supporting their inclusion in welfare-conscious diets as a relatively low-impact animal protein source.