Scallop Season Aims for Optimal Fishing

by Laurie Schreiber

ELLSWORTH—About 30 fishermen gathered on Sept. 12 to hear about the Department of Marine Resources’ (DMR) proposed rule for the 2016-17 scallop season.

The proposal includes the following provisions:

• As in the 2015-2016 season, there would be a daily possession limit of 15 gallons for Zone 1 and Zone 2, and a daily possession limit of 10 gallons for Zone 3.

• For Zone 1, a 60-day season is set for draggers to start Dec. 5, and the proposed last day of the season is April 11, 2017. A 60-day season is set for divers to start Dec. 1, and the proposed last day of the season is April 15, 2017.

• For Zone 2, a 70-day season is set for draggers to start Dec. 5, and the proposed last day of the season is March 28, 2017. A 70-day season is set for divers to start Dec. 1, and the proposed last day of the season is April 15, 2017.

• For Zone 3, a 50-day season is set for draggers to start Dec. 5, and the proposed last day of the season is March 29, 2017. A 50-day season is set for divers to start Dec. 1, and the proposed last day of the season is March 24, 2017.

• In addition, DMR is proposing to either maintain or implement the targeted closures based on depletion, high concentrations of seed/sublegal scallops and/or the presence of spat-producing scallops, in Muscle Ridge (limited), Lower Muscle Ridge, Eastern Casco Bay, Ocean Point, Sheepscot River, Muscongus Bay, New Meadows River, Card Cove and East Moosabec Reach.

• And DMR is proposing to implement a Limited Access Area in the Mount Desert Island (MDI) region of Zone 2

The limited access area for MDI is Somes Sound, down to Greening Island. This is a new limited access area for the fishery, and it’s the only limited access for Zone 2.

The proposed closure of East Moosabec Reach is also new for this coming season.

As in the previous few years, the DMR will conduct in-season surveys that will determine when and where to close fishing areas in order to conserve the resource.

A couple of goals of the proposal are to provide better access to divers and to load the majority of dragger fishing days early in the season to take advantage of the market.

Divers have a tough time taking advantage of their fishing days in winter’s stormy weather and when the water is turbid.

The dragger fleet harvests most of the product, but there are still about 20 divers along the coast. Last year, the DMR closed the fishery when the resource reached a certain point of depletion, and the divers lost about 20 days of fishing time.

“We lost 20 days, whether it was limited access or not limited access. You guys wouldn’t want to lose 20 days,” one diver said, addressing draggers. “We all want to fish exactly the days we have.”