Articles
Shrimp the ‘canary in the coal mine’ of Gulf of Maine
On Nov. 5, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section met in Portland and, after a scientific presentation, voted unanimously to close the shrimp fishery for another year. The handful of fishermen and processors in the room pleaded for a short season—anything to keep boats on the water. However, the results of the
Northern Shrimp: first casualty of New England warming water?
On Dec. 3, regulators from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission met to review the latest stock assessment for Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and determine what the fishing season would look like for Maine fishermen. Everyone in the room was prepared for bad news after the small “do no harm” fishery of 2013. That resulted in
The Waning of Political Power for Fishermen?
There is a long and storied history of great supporters of fisheries and the fishing industry in Congress. The late Senator Warren Magnuson of Washington was a lover of the marine environment and helped pen the Marine Mammal Protection Act in order to protect the Orca whales of Puget Sound. Additionally, he developed and lent
Buying Out Maine’s Fishing Communities?
Fisheries represent a unique opportunity to think about our natural environment and how it interacts with society. Fish are the last of our wild food sources and, because of their cultural importance to New England, there is still a vast diversity in how these resources are managed, harvested and even consumed. Within the management system,
Maine Shrimp
Maine or “Northern” Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) have been targeted by fishermen in the Gulf of Maine for generations and are the small, delicious shrimp that normally make their way to our appetizer or dinner plates for the holiday season. This year though, Maine shrimp will be much harder to come by as the fishing season