The 2016 Maine scallop season officially ended on Friday, 13 May as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced after the quota for the Northern Gulf of Maine area had been reached.
Scallop fishermen in the area expected the total catch volume from the Gulf of Maine to top 3 million pounds for the fourth consecutive year, with prices as high as USD 12 to 14 (EUR 10.62 to 12.39) per pound, according to an Associated Press article.
The robust numbers are a big victory for the fishery, which was struggling as little as seven years ago, with just 666,000 pounds harvested in 2009. Updated regulations, including a rotational management system, are credited with turning the fishery around, according to state fishing managers cited by the article.
As New England’s scallop fishing has improved, prices have remained high, as its scallops are prized for their larger sizes.
The scallop season reopens in the Gulf of Maine on 28 February, 2017.
