PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — New England’s shrimp fishing industry will remain shut down next year and likely beyond.
Interstate regulators met on Dec. 6 to consider the future of the industry, which has been shut down since 2013 and is under a moratorium until 2021. A regulatory panel with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission briefly discussed the possibility of reopening the fishery, but members said that might prevent the shrimp population from recovering.
The shrimp population in the Gulf of Maine is suffering due to the impacts of warming waters. Recent surveys show the species’ abundance at or near all-time lows, according to materials provided by the fisheries commission.
The shrimping business was previously located mostly in Maine. The shrimp were a popular winter seafood item until regulators decided there was no choice but to shut fishing down until the population recovers.
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