Scallops Scuffle Pitting Small Boats Against Big

PORTLAND, Maine - A disagreement over the right to fish for scallops off of New England is pitting small boats against big boats in one of the most lucrative fisheries in the U.S.
 
The federal government maintains different rules for the small- and big-boat fisheries, though they work some of the same areas. Small boat fishermen say the conflict has arisen in the northern Gulf of Maine, a fishing area stretching roughly from Boston to Canada.
 
The U.S. sea scallop fishery has been worth more than $400 million every year since 2010. They are also one of the priciest kinds of seafood that is familiar to many consumers, who often pay more than $20 per pound for them.
 
The fishery's most important state is Massachusetts, with New Bedford serving as the home base.