WISCASSET, Maine — January 29, 2014 — The Department of Marine Resources on Wednesday took no action to further restrict scallop fishing from the New Hampshire border to Penobscot Bay, but said further steps — such as those already taken in the rest of the state — would be necessary to sustain the fishery through the rest of the season.
Fishermen from southwestern Maine gathered at the Lincoln County Communications Center found no consensus on what steps should be taken — or if any are needed at all.
But Trisha De Graff, resource coordinator for scallops, urchins and groundfish for the department, said something must happen before the 70-day season ends in March.
“We’re at a tipping point right now,” she said. “If we want to make it to the end of the season, something has to be done.”
Many of the fifty or so draggers and divers in attendance disagreed, telling De Graaf that the fishery “can manage itself” if several zone closures are removed.
“With all these closed areas … you’re killing scallops,” said Adam Benner of Bremen. “You’ve had it closed too long and they weren’t turning the bottom … now the rivers are dead. Let nature take it’s course … we’re not going to kill our resource.”
“It’s closed for roughly 290 days a year [already],” said Travis Carter, who fishes out of Muscongus Bay. “Can’t you just leave it alone and open it up?