Saving Seafood

NEFMC Meeting Reminder: RSA Share Day – Tue, May 12

May 11, 2026 — The following was released by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation:

Coonamessett Farm Foundation and the NEFMC are hosting the RSA Share Day 2026, on Tuesday, May 12.

This is a meeting for researchers to share findings and discuss ongoing scallop research.

Time & Location

May 12, 2026

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Coonamessett Farm Foundation

277 Hatchville Rd

East Falmouth, MA 02536, USA

Format: In-person + virtual attendance available

For more information or to reserve a free spot click here.

 Program info: Scallop Researchers will provide a summary of their research to interested parties. This is an opportunity for scallop researchers to share findings with fishery managers, and to hear from other researchers who are conducting studies on topics that have been identified as RSA research priorities. One objective of this meeting is to better inform scallop managers of the status of current research and help identify future research priority recommendations.

Coonamessett Farm Foundation Releases Final Report on Scallop Dredge Configurations and Catch Efficiency

May 6, 2026 — The following was released by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation:

The Coonamessett Farm Foundation has released the final report for its project
entitled: Tension in the Air: Using a Tensiometer to Assess Dredge Fullness and Loss During
Haul-back Comparing Different Dredge Configurations. This report was submitted to NOAA
Fisheries in March 2026 and was prepared under the 2024 Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside
Program continuing more than a decade of collaborative, industry-based research. The report
evaluates the performance of three dredge configurations, 5-row apron, traditional 7-row apron,
and extended-link apron, under commercially representative conditions using paired dredge
deployments across four research trips conducted between September 2024 and July 2025 on
Georges Bank and adjacent areas.

A key innovation of this work was the integration of a tensiometer to measure warp tension in
real time, providing a novel approach to assessing dredge loading, performance, and catch loss
throughout both towing and haul-back phases.

This research demonstrated that while the 5-row apron configuration-maintained scallop catch
rates comparable to the 7-row configuration, the reduction in windowpane flounder bycatch was
modest  relative to an extended link apron. The 5-row apron configuration as required by
Framework Adjustment 25 represents an incremental improvement rather than an impactful
solution for reducing windowpane flounder bycatch in the sea scallop fishery. Additionally, the
application of tensiometer technology provides a powerful new tool for understanding dredge
dynamics and optimizing fishing practices.

More information about the project and the full report is available here:
https://www.coonamessettfarmfoundation.org/news-1/tension-in-the-air

MASSACHUSETTS: Climate change is driving scallops north. That’s good news for New Bedford

April 21, 2026 — For the past five years, New Jersey scallop fisherman Brady Lybarger has been spending more time in New Bedford. Scallop yields have been poor in the mid-Atlantic’s historic scalloping grounds, known as the Elephant Trunk. So Lybarger makes the 250-mile voyage from Cape May, New Jersey’s southernmost point, out to Georges Bank, east of Cape Cod.

Fuel is expensive, so Lybarger docks his vessel in New Bedford during the busy summer season. Between trips, he drives six hours each way to New Jersey to spend time with his family.

With 25 years in the fishing industry, Lybarger says the sacrifice is nothing new.

“No one wants to be away, right?” Lybarger said. “But you also got to go make money.”

Lybarger is part of a growing cohort of fishermen docking their vessels in New Bedford while calling another port home. Since 2016, the number of these “transient” vessels has increased over 300%, while scallop landings in mid-Atlantic and southern ports have declined.

The shift, some researchers say, is driven by climate change: ocean temperatures and acid levels are rising unevenly across the Eastern Seaboard. As scallops react to warming waters, fishermen are following suit — spending more time and landing more shellfish in New Bedford. It’s a boon for the Whaling City, but it’s a challenge for the southern ports left behind.

“We’re getting decimated,” said Sean Barto, the vice president of Sea Gear Marine Supply in Cape May. “It’s been straight downhill for the past five or six years.”

The shift may further consolidate an industry that’s already tough for independent fishermen, driving an even greater portion of fishing wealth into New Bedford’s privileged few.

The shifting tides aren’t enough to make Lybarger leave his home port behind entirely, though he’s willing to consider it someday.

“From what I’ve seen in the past 20 years, [New Bedford] has turned around,” Lybarger said. “I wouldn’t mind living in New Bedford, be honest with you. It’s not my top choice, but I wouldn’t mind it if I had to.”

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

NGOM scallop season wraps up at derby pace

April 15, 2026 — The 2026 Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) scallop season came to a close just 12 days after opening, as NOAA Fisheries shut down the high-value spring fishery effective April 13 at 12:01 a.m.

The quick turnaround comes as little surprise to fishermen who entered the season expecting a fast burn under a significantly reduced quota. For 2026, total allowable landings were set for 484,753 pounds, with a usable set-aside of 437,867 pounds after research and observer deductions– down sharply from 675,563 pounds in 2025.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Hidden scallops scheme lands New Jersey captain, dealer in federal court

April 15, 2026 — A New Jersey Captain and seafood dealer have been sentenced in federal court after NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement uncovered what officials described as a lucrative scheme to illegally harvest and sell excess scallops.

The case began in April 2021, when enforcement officers boarded the captain’s vessel and discovered scallops concealed in a hidden compartment– an initial finding that would lead to a four-year investigation involving NOAA special agents and officers, with assistance from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

New Jersey Captain and Seafood Buyer Found Guilty of a Multiyear Scallop Harvest Conspiracy

April 13, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement uncovered a lucrative scheme devised by a New Jersey captain and seafood dealer to illegally harvest and sell excess scallops. The captain and dealer pleaded guilty; they were sentenced in federal court for conspiracy to commit offense or defraud the United States.

On August 4, 2025, the captain was sentenced to a $10,000 fine, 6-month home confinement, and 2-year term of probation. He has been prohibited from holding a NOAA Fisheries Operator Permit or commercial fishing permit and from completing any Fishing Vessel Trip Reports. On April 22, 2025, the dealer was sentenced to a $4,000 fine and a 2-year term of probation.

This case began in April 2021, when our officers boarded the defendant’s vessel and located scallops concealed in a hidden compartment. Two NOAA Fisheries special agents and our enforcement officers conducted an investigation that lasted more than four years. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection officers assisted us in the investigation.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

NOAA closing Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area on Monday morning

April 13, 2026 — Just a dozen days after it opened, NOAA Fisheries is closing the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area to all federally permitted limited access general category scallop vessels effective Monday at 12:01 a.m.

As of Monday, no scallop vessel fishing under federal scallop regulations may fish for, possess, or land scallops in or from the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area, NOAA said.

NOAA set the total allowable landing limit at 484,753 pounds for the season, down from 675,563 pounds in 2025. Scallop regulations require closure of the management area once NOAA projects that 100% of the 2026 Northern Gulf of Maine Set-Aside — 437,867 pounds in 2026 — will be taken. The closure will be in effect until the end of the fishing year on March 31, 2027.

Northern Gulf of Maine scallop payday

April 7, 2026 — Scalloping is usually easy pickings when the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) management area opens on April 1, and boats come from all over the northeast coast to harvest their 200-pound-a-day limit of big, clean scallops. But fisherman Brady Lybarger of Cape May, N.J., reports that catches are dropping off fast.

On the third day of the season, Lybarger had to make 6 tows to get his four buckets. “None of them more than 12 minutes,” he says. “We were in by 3 o’clock. But the scallops aren’t as thick as they were last year. On April 4, we made 9 tows, up to 25 minutes, and I heard some guys made 15.”  But Lybarger notes the scallops are still good size and quality. “We’re getting U12s,” he says, referring to the scallops running less than 12 meats to the pound. “The price is down from last year, but it’s still $30 a pound. I’ll take that all day.”

Despite the drop in catch per unit of effort, Lybarger expects a short season. “Do the math,” he says. “One hundred eighty boats, 200 pounds a day, a roughly 400,000-pound quota. That’s 11 days. If we get anything over that, it’s a bonus.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Local Catch Network backs fishermen-first businesses with new federal funding

March 31, 2026 — Dayboat scallops from inshore waters — known for their succulent texture and optimal balance of buttery and briny flavors — are unlike any other, according to Downeast Dayboat founder Togue Brawn.

Most scallops can take many days — if not weeks — to reach shore after they are harvested, but dayboat scallops are brought back within 24 hours to be sold, packaged, shipped or frozen.

Brawn launched Downeast Dayboat in 2011 to share the product she loves with customers nationwide. While the business showed promise, Brawn said her technical savvy didn’t match her passion. She searched for business consultants who could help her plan for long-term stability and growth but worried they would be too expensive or prioritize profit over her commitment to supporting Maine seafood.

Then she applied to join the Local Catch Network, an organization anchored at the University of Maine that offers free business and technical assistance, scientific research and networking opportunities for seafood businesses nationwide. The goal is to grow community-based seafood systems by supporting businesses committed to the well-being of their coastal communities and marine ecosystems.

“As someone who wants to promote local seafood, I can’t just hire a consultant that’s going to focus on profit,” Brawn said. “The original impetus for this business was to get fishermen more money, not to make money for myself. While I realize I can only advance my mission if I stay in business, which requires turning a profit, I don’t ever want to lose sight of why I started this all.”

Since the Local Catch Network was co-founded in 2011 by Joshua Stoll, UMaine associate professor of marine policy, it has helped more than 70 community-based seafood businesses like Downeast Dayboat across New England, Florida, Alaska, California and Puerto Rico.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NGOM scallopers brace for lower quota as 2026 season reopens

March 31, 2026 — The Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) scallop fleet is set to get back to work April 1, but as fishermen prepare for the final stretch of the spring season, they’re doing so under a significantly smaller quota than last year.

Under NOAA Fisheries Framework Adjustment 20, total allowable landings (TAL) for the 2026 fishing year are set at 484,753 pounds – down from 675,563 pounds in 2025, when the fishery reopened April 21 under Framework 39.

After deductions to support research and observer coverage, the usable NGOM set-aside for 2026 comes in at 437,867 pounds, according to a March 27 NOAA Fisheries bulletin. The agency notes it will “closely monitor” landings and close the fishery once the set-aside is reached.

Despite the lower quota, the structure of the fishery remains familiar. Vessels are still limited to 200 pounds of shelled scallop meat per trip, with the opportunity to land up to 325 pounds on a trip with an observer through a 125-pound observer compensation credit.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman