The Minister for Primary Industries, Bryan Green, today announced the opening of a limited season for the State's commercial scallop fishery.

Mr Green said the fishery at Marion Bay on the East Coast would open for four months from next Wednesday, closing on December 31.

"Tasmania's scallop fishery is highly variable and needs to be managed accordingly to ensure sustainable harvesting," Mr Green said.

"Surveys of scallop beds earlier this year were not positive but a recent assessment of the Marion Bay Scallop Area has shown pre-spawning fish stock.

Mr Green said that based on analysis by the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies the total allowable catch had been set at 425 tonnes with a further 100 tonnes of allocated research quota.

Mr Green said the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment had worked with professional fishers to locate viable scallop beds.