ELLSWORTH, Maine —- A survey of scallop abundance Down East shows that at least some stocks are recovering after their number dipped dangerously low a few years ago.
According to a state scientist, the results of a survey last fall in Cobscook Bay and the St. Croix River show that area closures are having a desired effect of protecting the resource. The results also suggest that closures perhaps should be used more routinely to better maintain the state scallop fishery, as they have been at the federal level, he said.
“That would be a good thing to consider, I would think,” biologist Kevin Kelly of the Maine Department of Marine Resources said Friday. “The closure there [in Cobscook Bay] appears successful from a biological standpoint.”
But a Trescott fisherman said Sunday that he’s not convinced that closures are the reason scallop numbers are increasing in the bay. Barry Huckins, who also is a member of DMR’s Scallop Advisory Council, said that he has fished in Cobscook Bay since the 1970s.
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