PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire — Fishing regulators are ready to decide if a moratorium on fishing for Maine shrimp will be extended into next year.
Fishermen haven't been able to catch the shrimp since 2013. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Northern Shrimp Section is scheduled to meet on Monday in Portsmouth to decide if that will continue.
The commission's Northern Shrimp Technical Committee says prospects for shrimp recovery are poor for the near future. It is asking the Northern Shrimp Section to extend the moratorium.
A report issued by the technical committee says warming New England waters will create an "increasingly inhospitable" environment for the shrimp.
The shrimp were previously sought by commercial fishermen from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts and were a popular winter item at fish markets.