May 11, 2012 – NOAA announces today that the Delmarva Scallop Access Area will be closed to scallop fishing for the remainder of the 2012 fishing year. This closure was requested by members of the scallop industry and by the New England Fishery Management Council, and was done through the agency's authority to take emergency action. This closure prevents high levels of fishing effort in this area, which could reduce long-term scallop biomass and yield from Delmarva, and could compromise the overall success of the scallop area rotational management program.