PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Fishing managers will decide this week if New England’s fishery for shrimp must remain closed because of concerns about the environment and the animal’s population.
The shrimp fishery, based mostly in Maine, has been closed since 2013. The small, pink shrimp, once a popular winter seafood item, have been mostly unavailable to consumers in America since.
An advisory panel that reports to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is meeting on Thursday to make a recommendation about having a season in 2019. The commission’s shrimp section is set to cast a vote on the subject on Friday. Both meetings are scheduled to take place in Portland.
A recent scientific analysis of the shrimp population says it remains in bad shape. The warming of the Gulf of Maine is one factor.