September 1, 2017 — New legislation intended to open up scallop fishing, called An Act to Implement an Owner-Operator Requirement in the Scallop and Sea Urchin Fisheries, passed House and Senate votes in the 128th Legislature and was signed into law in July.
“That was a huge win for the scallop industry,” Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries Communications Director Caroline Goddard said.
New scallop dragging licenses could be issued, at the earliest, for the 2018-19 season. How they will be issued is currently under discussion by the Department of Marine Resources.
“It’s not a foregone conclusion that there will be new licenses,” said DMR Scallop Advisory Council member Carla Guenther, who is a scientist with Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries.