29 June 2011 Last updated at 14:19

In Pictures: The Isle of Man's Queenie heritage

The Queen Scallop (aequipecten opercularis) is a bivalve mollusc which can grow up to 9cm in diameter and is found at depths of 100 metres. It feeds on plankton and swims by squirting jets of water from between its shell.

The Queenie season runs from the start of June to the end of October. More than 20 local day boats trawl Manx waters with another five or six from elsewhere in the British Isles.

Approximately 3,000 tonnes are landed in the Isle of Man every year annually, which converts to about 450 tonnes of meat. Currently, more than 90% of Isle of Man Queenies are exported to the UK and Europe.

Queenie stocks remain healthy year on year thanks to strict government regulations. These include returning undersized Queenies to the sea, along with small by-catch.

In ancient times, the scallop shell was a pagan fertility symbol. It is also the emblem of St James and historically was worn by pilgrims to his shrine in Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain.

The first commercially caught Queenies were landed in Peel in 1969. The name 'Queenies' has been in use in the Isle of Man since the late 1800s.

In 2011 the Isle of Man Queenie Fishery won both the Billingsgate Seafood School's Sustainable Seafood Award and accreditation from the Marine Stewardship Council for sustainability and good management.

High in protein and low in fat, Queenies are also packed with vitamins and minerals making them a super-food.

Queenies are commonly seasoned with garlic, chilli, lemon and ginger, and paired with bacon or chorizo.

Isle Of Man / Ellan Vannin

In Pictures: The Isle of Man's Queenie heritage

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