Maine scallop fishermen set a 20-year high with last year’s harvest – and now they’re gearing up for the start of what they hope is an even better season.
The state’s rebuilt fishery for scallops, which runs from November to April, is getting started for the winter in the coming days. Many in the state’s seafood industry consider Maine scallops a conservation success story, as the fishery collapsed in the mid-2000s and slowly rebuilt to the point where fishermen last year collected the highest total since 1997.
The state built scallops back from the brink with measures such as enforcing localized closures, rotating open harvesting areas and applying tighter quota limits. Regulators said the approach will continue this year, and fishermen and consumers will benefit.
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