A complex quota system governs how many of the fish, also known as menhaden, can be harvested by states on the East Coast. But there’s debate about how or if the quotas should be changed.
fishing industry
Safety board cites poor drainage in Portland fishing boat tragedy
Findings from an investigation into the 2020 sinking of the Emmy Rose prompt a call for new inspections of ports meant to drain deck water.
Feds target U.S. companies caught in lucrative shark fin trade
Every year, the fins of as many as 73 million sharks are sliced from the backs of the majestic sea predators, their bleeding bodies sometimes dumped back into the ocean where they are left to die.
Ships must slow down more often to save right whales, regulators say
Vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are the biggest threats to the giant animals, which number fewer than 340 and are dwindling in population.
Whale entanglements drop, but remain major threat, government reports
Four of the 53 whales entangled in 2020 were North Atlantic right whales, which are in the midst of population decline due to recent years of high mortality and poor reproduction.
Fishing feud at bottom of the world splits U.S. and UK over Russia
For the 1st time since governments banded together 40 years ago to protect marine life near the South Pole, deep-sea fishing for Chilean sea bass is proceeding this season without any catch limit.
Shellfish attitude in lobster land: Maine oysters boom
The state’s 2021 oyster harvest was the largest and most valuable in its history, benefiting hatcheries such as Mere Point Oyster Company in Brunswick.
Maine business group seeks rare deal to export ‘cape shark’ to Cuba
Although U.S. export to the Caribbean’s largest island is rare, the Maine delegation’s leader is a seasoned veteran of Cuban trade and one of few Americans with an export license.
Vegan Kitchen: ‘Ghost’ gear haunts Maine waters, threatening wildlife
A diver’s discoveries shed light on an intensifying marine menace: Discarded fishing lines and nets, broken buoys and traps.
U.S. fishing haul fell 10% during first pandemic year
Some of the largest value seafood species were once again New England staples, such as lobster, a fishery anchored in Maine, and sea scallops, many of which come to the docks in Massachusetts.