'Bionic' shellfish helps save scallops

The scallop contains an electronic sensor

A "bionic" scallop is being used to discover how stressed the creatures become when they are caught by fishermen.

The bright-orange plastic shellfish contains a fingertip-sized electronic sensor which detects movement and then stores the information.

The gadget is placed on the seabed where it mingles with real scallops and is then captured by a dredger.

Scientists hope that by examining the levels of stress experienced by the plastic shellfish as it is gathered into the boat they can help encourage the animal to thrive.

We want to try to improve the way scallops are fished so that if they are put back in the sea they have the best chance of surviving

Bill Lart, Sea Fish Industry Authority

Bill Lart, who is co-ordinating the project for the Hull-based Sea Fish Industry Authority, said: "The research is aimed at looking at the environmental impact of fishing.

"We want to help the industry develop machines that are efficient at catching fish but also reduce the amount of environmental impact."

Scientists began the project three years ago to study the effect dredging has on scallops.

More vulnerable

They were concerned about the fate of the shellfish which were inspected by fishermen and then slung back into the sea because they were too small.

Experts felt that the forces on the scallops of being caught in the dredgers may make them more vulnerable.

Mr Lart added: "Scallops can be eaten by crabs and starfish and the action of dredging on those put back in the sea may have made them more open to attack from predators.

"We want to try to improve the way scallops are fished so that if they are put back in the sea they have the best chance of surviving.

Report expected

"It may also be that if the designs of the dredgers are changed they will not catch scallops which are too small to be sold."

Around a dozen of the four-inch wide "bionic" scallops have been used in the tests.

They cost around £300 each and are made from hard-wearing plastic resin which encases a sensitive accelerometer - a device which measures movement.

Scientists can then retrieve the gadget and read the information using a computer.

The research is now in its final stages and a report is expected next January.