Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today wrote to the New England Fishery Management Council, in support of management measures that would protect and directly benefit the scallop industry in Maine. Pingree urged the Council to back measures that would prioritize the catch from smaller boats fishing much of the Maine coast. The scallop fishery is a 50,000,000-pound fishery and offers great opportunity for a sustainable fishery. Full text of Pingree’s comments are available here.

“As a representative for and resident of Maine who cares deeply about the working waterfront and Maine’s fishing communities, this action is incredibly important to protect access to the scallop fishery for Maine’s fishermen. While Maine is known for our lobsters, many of our small boats participate in a variety of fisheries throughout the year,” said Pingree in her comments. “Scallops are a very important part of that diversification for our fishermen, and the federal scallop fishery is an opportunity for those who traditionally fish in the Gulf of Maine that we must protect, steward, and preserve. For the first time in a long time, scallops are rebuilding in the Gulf of Maine. The return of scallops to federal waters offers a fantastic opportunity for Maine's fleet.”

Later this month, the Council will be taking final action on Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan, which includes measures that will support a growing scallop fishery in federal waters in the Northern Gulf of Maine. Among other items, Amendment 21 considers the allocation split of fishing from the Northern Gulf of Maine between larger boats and smaller family fisheries. The proposed allocation would mean that small, inshore boats would have first access while the biomass is low, but all vessels would be able to fish once the biomass grows to a size that can support the larger fleet. This action has the potential to be one of the most impactful decision points that will impact the Maine scallop fleet for years to come, and would give equitable access to the types of small boats that Maine is known for.

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