NOTICE OF AGENCY EMERGENCY RULE-MAKING – DMR

Scallop Closures – Gouldsboro and Dyers Bay

The Commissioner adopts this emergency rulemaking to implement conservation closures in the Gouldsboro and Dyers Bays within the Gouldsboro and Dyers Bay Rotational Area to protect Maine’s scallop resources from the risk of unusual damage and imminent depletion. The Department is concerned that continued harvesting for the duration of the 2018-19 fishing season in this small area will greatly reduce the abundance of the remaining broodstock as well as seed scallop resource that is essential to the ongoing recruitment, regrowth and recovery of the scallop resource. An immediate conservation closure is necessary to reduce the risk of unusual damage and imminent depletion of the scallop resource in the Gouldsboro and Dyers Bays within the Gouldsboro and Dyers Bay Rotational Area.

The last day of harvesting for scallop draggers will be Friday, December 14, 2018. The final day of harvesting for scallop divers will be Wednesday, December 19, 2018. These specific days allow for equal harvest opportunity of ten days.