PORTLAND, Maine - State regulators will make a decision soon about the scope of this year's Maine scallop fishing season.
Maine scallops are popular in the seafood world because of how big and meaty some of them grow. The scallop fishery has been relatively stable in recent years, with prices high and volume of catch holding around 300,000 to 600,000 pounds of meat per year.
The state has proposed that fishermen be allowed to catch about the same amount of scallops this coming winter as they did in the previous fishing year. The state also wants to close several scallop fishing areas, including the Sheepscot River and Muscongus Bay.
The proposal was the subject of public hearings, and public comment closed on Oct. 12.
The fishing season runs December to April.