HALLOWELL — Traditional Maine smelt fishing is banned in the lower half of the state this spring from Stonington to Kittery.
Battered and fried, the small fish is a spring staple in Maine.
The Department of Marine Resources says in a press release that the closure will protect smelt at a vulnerable life stage when they are spawning. The closure will begin on March 14. Smelt camps that remain on the Kennebec and its tributaries will be exempt from the closure.
The emergency closure will last 90 days during the spawning period.
State studies show runs of rainbow smelt have declined 50 percent in the last few decades in the closure area.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
-
Community
McGrail named to the University of Hartford dean’s list
-
Community
Oak Hill High School honor roll
-
Movie Review J.P. Devine
J.P. Devine Movie Review: ‘The Rolling Stones Olé Olé Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America’
-
Community
Local students make Western New England University dean’s list
-
Obituaries
Obituary: Arthur L. Beaulieu
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi {SUB NAME}, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have one? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login to participate in the conversation. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.