ELLSWORTH, Maine — It may not be like 30 years ago, when Maine’s coastal scallop fishery was at its peak, but 2012 produced the highest value for the annual fishery in the past 12 years.
According to state officials, this is a sign that the strict conservation approach that Maine has pursued since 2009 is starting to show positive results. That strict approach is expected to continue, though some specific regulations may be changing, for the 2013-2014 season, which is set to begin early next month.
Scallop fishing in the 2012 calendar year netted nearly 290,000 pounds of scallop meat for Maine’s statewide scallop fishing fleet, according to statistics compiled by the Maine Department of Marine Resources. That is the highest landings total for the fishery since 2002, when 348,000 pounds were harvested.
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