The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has announced innovative new scallop management measures designed to build on the success of efforts to restore and sustain the fishery.

The measures, which take effect Sunday, are the result of two years of public input and will address the varying resource management needs along Maine’s 3,500 mile coastline by establishing three zones, each with separate plans.

“This is a forward-looking management approach that reflects the Department’s commitment to a healthy fishery and robust seafood economy,”  DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher said. “We held dozens of meetings and incorporated the feedback we received and are confident this plan balances the needs of the many stakeholders in Maine’s seafood industry.”

The management measures will include a combination of Limited Access Areas and rotational openings similar to crop rotation used in agriculture.

“Rotational management has been proven successful in the U.S. federal scallop fishery and promotes increased landings, resulting in higher economic yield,” Resource Management Coordinator Trisha DeGraaf said.

For the entire state, the previous Closed Areas will become Limited Access Areas, allowing for limited harvesting one day per week in December and two days per week the rest of the season. Rotational management will be used in Zone 2, which stretches from Penobscot Bay to the Lubec-Campobello International Bridge.

A 70-day season will run from December 2 until March 20 and will allow a185-pound daily limit. Two of three rotational areas in Zone 2 will remain open for the 2012-2013 and 2014-2015 seasons while a third will be closed for rebuilding. Limited Access Areas in Zone 2 will sunset this year as the Rotational Management Plan is phased in. Zone 1, from Kittery to Penobscot Bay, will utilize Limited Access Areas as their management strategy in lieu of rotational management, allowing for limited harvesting one day per week in December and two days per week the rest of the season in those rebuilt areas with a185-pound daily limit. Zone 3, in Cobscook Bay, will utilize Limited Access Areas and a 90-pound daily limit during a 44 day “split” season with February closed.

“We will monitor Limited Access Areas closely to ensure that a healthy resource is maintained throughout the harvest and will communicate directly with the industry if levels drop below what can be naturally replaced and require any additional management measures,”  DeGraaf said.

For more information on the new scallop management measures, contact Trisha DeGraaf at 207-622-6554 or trisha.degraaf@maine.gov. For more information visit www.maine.gov/dmr/rm/scallops/scallopmanagement.htm.