9 Scallop Fishing Areas to Close in Maine

Nine Maine scalloping fishing areas are ready to close for the season due to the volume of catch.

The closures are set to begin Monday and include scallop-rich Cobscook Bay. Some of the areas, including the St. Croix River, will remain partially open on a limited basis. The other closures are Whiting and Dennys Bay, the Little Inner Kennebec and Englishman Bay area, the Addison area, Casco Passage, Bagaduce River, Sheepscot River and Casco Bay.

Regulators say other scallop fishing areas in the state will remain open until early April. The closures are part of Maine's effort to rebuild its scallop fishery. The scallop fishery bottomed out at 33,141 pounds ten years ago and has rebuilt since, with fishermen catching more than a half million pounds in 2013.