I’ve always wondered this too. I’m from NZ and like the UK, the scallops we buy from the fishmonger or supermarket typically still have the roe connected. I always considered the roe the best part of the scallop so was disappointed I could never find them here. Then I came across this article: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/23/dining/maine-sea-scallops.amp.html
“With few exceptions, wild scallops in the United States are shucked before they are sold to avoid possible bacterial contamination found in the viscera and the roe. Farmed scallops, whose habitat can be tested for biotoxins, are permitted to be sold live in the shell, with the roe still attached.”
