New England shrimp fishery to stay shuttered as waters warm

By PATRICK WHITTLE
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — New England’s commercial shrimp fishery will remain shuttered because of concerns about the health of the crustacean’s population amid warming ocean temperatures. The cold-water shrimp were once a winter delicacy in Maine and beyond, but the fishing industry has been shut down since 2013. A board of the regulatory Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted on Friday to keep the fishery shut down for at least three more years. The shrimp prefer cold water and their population health is imperiled by the warming of the ocean off New England. The Gulf of Maine, in particular, is warming faster than most of the world’s ocean.