Pasco County looks to bounce back from last year's irregular scalloping season

Scallop season looking to bounce back

FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis shares how charter captains are bouncing back after an unusual scallop season last year

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. - Pasco County already has a shorter scalloping season than other counties since it was reintroduced in 2018. The 2024 scalloping season was put on hold after harmful toxins were detected from an algae bloom near Anclote Key.

Travis Pack, the owner of Captain Pack Sparrow Adventures, said, "They found some type of bacteria in the scallops. They had to shut the season down for a little bit. It was kind of unfortunate."

But the county and its tourism agency, Florida's Sports Coast, believe this season will be plentiful. Executive Director Adam Thomas said Pasco is shaping up to be a destination for scalloping. 

He said, "The economic impact of scalloping is north of $11million and that's derived of the visitor's spending of close to $8.5 million. In 2023, we welcomed over 40,000 people into Pasco County who actually experienced scalloping."

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What they're saying:

Pack said the activity is drawing people from all over the country to Pasco. He said, "It's getting more and more popular every year and people are finding out about it from way up north. They're coming down from Ohio, New York."

The Anclote River Park Boat Ramp in Holiday is a prime launch destination for many. He said, "July 10th, there will be a line out of this boat ramp at 7am. It will be absolutely packed out here."

Pack encourages scallopers to read over safety protocols. He said, "Make sure you're checking all of your Coast Guard rules. Make sure you're safe. Especially on a busy weekend. It gets kind of dangerous with boats all over the place. Make sure you have your dive flags up." He advises staying no more than 100 feet away from the boat.

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What's next:

Pasco County is set to host its 2nd Annual, three-weekend-long Scallop Festival at Sunwest Park starting July 24th.

"It's basically a three-week festival on the weekends," Thomas said, "You go on the water, you shower up, you change, and then you go for the seafood festival, the scalloping festival and just have a really great times listening to music. There's going to be food trucks. There's going to be vendors there."

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