June 9, 2016 — PORTLAND, Maine — Interstate fishing regulators are revisiting the possibility of reopening Maine’s shuttered shrimp fishery, which has been closed due to factors stemming from warming oceans.
Maine shrimp were once a popular seafood item in New England, but regulators shut the fishery down in 2013 when catch cratered.
Scientists say warming ocean temperatures are inhospitable for the shrimp, and make it difficult for their populations to recover.
Fishery managers with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission are opening up the possibility of new regulations to manage the fishery. Fishery Management Plan Coordinator Max Appelman says new regulations would address issues such as overcapacity in the fishery.