An emergency rule implemented by the Department of Marine Resources, closing the Damariscotta River to scallop fishing, is the result of continued low catch levels.
A notice posted Jan. 31 at the department’s website at maine.gov/dmr states that, beginning Feb. 1 it will be unlawful to fish for, take, or possess scallops taken by any method within any of the closed areas that include the Mussel Ridge, Ocean Point, the Muscongus area and the Damariscotta River.
A vessel with scallops on board may transit the closed areas only if the vessel has all fishing gear securely stowed.
“Maine scallop landings have declined precipitously from a peak of nearly 4 million pounds in 1980-81 to less than a half million pounds each year since 2001,” the notice states.
In 2009, to allow the resource to rebuild from “extremely low levels in scallop populations throughout the state, the department enacted a series of closed areas. Now called limited access areas, these areas were re-opened to harvest for the current season.
A 2011 survey of the limited access areas provided a biomass estimate of the harvestable poundage of scallops available in each area.
According to a chart at maine.gov/dmr/rulemaking/Ch11.22141516scallopemergencywebfinal.pdf, average yearly sea scallop landings throughout Maine are now 5 percent of those in 1950, when the department began recording them.
In 1950, slightly more than 500,000 pounds of scallops were landed in Maine; in 1961 approximately 2,750,000, with an all time high in 1981 of approximately 3,750,000.
By 2000 the haul was down to approximately 750,000; then dropped to approximately 250,000 and with the exception of a catch of approximately 500,000 in 2002 has remained at or below 250,000 per year ever since.
There was a similar drop between 1965 and 1971.
Based on Marine Patrol, sea sampling and port sampling observations, as well as direct industry reports, a 30-40 percent threshold was exceeded in three of the areas.
“The areas that have experienced the highest amount of fishing pressure have been depleted,” the notice said. “These areas include Gouldsboro and Dyer bays, Damariscotta River and Somes Sound. These closures are needed to ensure that there is enough biomass left to provide the critical mass of scallops for successful recruitment and spawning, thus ensuring that rebuilding continues.”
In the Damariscotta River, the observations in combination with direct industry reports indicated that the area has been over-fished and requires an immediate conservation closure.
The notice cited a high number of vessels fishing in a small area and said that, even outside of the limited access area, “the rest of the Damariscotta River has been subjected to a heavy fishing effort over the past three years while the lower portion and outer area have been closed for rebuilding.
“The fall 2011 DMR Survey indicated a high presence of sub-legal scallops around Inner Heron Island, which require protection to ensure these scallops have the ability to recruit up to the fishery in subsequent fishing years,” the notice continued.
“Therefore, an immediate conservation closure of the entire Damariscotta River is needed, while the remaining portion of the Damariscotta/Sheepscot limited access areas will remain open for harvest opportunities,” it said.
Information is available upon request from Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Keliher’s office, at 624-6553.
