WEST VINALHAVEN — The Department of Marine Resources will implement an emergency conservation closure in West Vinalhaven within the Lower Penobscot Bay Rotational Area, effective January 6, 2019, according to a news release.

The outer portion of the Lower Penobscot Bay Rotational Area will remain open (west of a line starting at the southwestern tip of Crockett Point, heading southwesterly to green can GC5, then running to red buoy R2 and continuing to red buoy R2A and then easterly to the most southern tip of Leadbetter Island) according to the current Zone 2 calendars for the 2018-2019 season. 

Machias Seal Island and North Rock are open to harvest on Zone 2 calendar days and also January 1 - 31, 2019. 

The Scallop Management Area Map has been updated to reflect these closures. To view closures, zoom into the local area.

The notice of emergency rulemaking will be posted to DMR's website, and also included below:  

NOTICE OF AGENCY EMERGENCY RULE-MAKING

AGENCY: Department of Marine Resources

CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE:  Chapter 11.08, Targeted Closures: (9) West Vinalhaven

CONCISE SUMMARY: The Commissioner adopts this emergency rulemaking to implement conservation closure west of Vinalhaven within Lower Penobscot Bay Rotational Area to protect Maine’s scallop resources from the risk of unusual damage and imminent depletion.

The Department is concerned that continued harvesting for the duration of the 2018-19 fishing season in this small area will greatly reduce the abundance of the remaining broodstock as well as seed scallop resource that is essential to the ongoing recruitment, regrowth and recovery of the scallop resource.

An immediate conservation closure is necessary to reduce the risk of unusual damage and imminent depletion of the scallop resource in the inside islands west of Vinalhaven within the Lower Penobscot Bay Rotational Area.For these reasons, the Commissioner hereby adopts an emergency closure of Maine’s scallop fishery in these areas as authorized by 12 M.R.S. §6171(3)(A).

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 6, 2019