Newly rebuilt scallop fishery prepares for open season in Maine

MACHIASPORT, Maine (AP)– Maine’s rebuilt fishery for scallops is getting started for the winter in the coming days.

Many in the state’s seafood industry consider Maine scallops a conservation success story, as harvest hit a 20-year high last year after bottoming out in the mid-2000s. Most of the scallops are harvested by boat, though some are taken by divers who fish for them by hand.

The season begins on the state’s southern coast with divers getting started on Tuesday. Fishermen who work from scallop dragger boats are allowed to start along the northern coast on Dec. 3.

There are some areas closed to scallop harvesting this year to help rebuild the population in localized areas. The scallop fishing season stretches until April.