PORTLAND, Maine — A state project designed to help regulators to learn more about the future of the Maine shrimp fishery is coming to a close.
Shrimp trawlers and trappers spent weeks collecting samples for state regulators in the Gulf of Maine. Trappers are scheduled to finish their work on Friday.
The Maine Department of Marine Resources is paying four trawlers $500 per trip and allowing them to sell up to 1,800 pounds of shrimp per trip. It is also allowing five trappers to keep up to 100 pounds of shrimp per week for personal use.
Fishermen from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts formerly participated in the now-closed shrimp fishery. Regulators closed the fishery because the population of shrimp collapsed in recent years.