A French scalloper is dredging for the prized mollusc.

A French scalloper is dredging for a catch of the shellfish. The method of trawling is by use of a dredge in the form of a metal scoop. Early dredges had teeth called tynes which would plough up the seabed and dig up the scallops, clams, oysters or crabs. The method also hauls up predators of the scallop, octopus, whelks and starfish. Dredging is a controversial method of fishing owing to the damage done to the seabed which has been found to take a long time to recover.

Scallops live in the world's oceans, are hermaphrodite, in other words contain both female and male reproductive organs and produce pearls although not as stunning as the ones from pearl oysters. Their French name of Coquilles St Jacques is thought to be derived from the pilgrims of the Way of St James or St Jacques of Santiago de Compostela. King scallops, the smaller queen scallop or queens and princess scallops are all found in Devon and Cornish waters. Some are farmed and wild ones may be hand-caught by diving considered a more sustainable method of scalloping. Scallops have small eyes in their mantles and predators, once detected, force the scallop into the impressive evasive action of erratic swimming.