For many seafood lovers, New England shrimp heralds a winter season of good eating.
But with stocks of the small crustacean hitting their lowest ebb in decades, regulators from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts have shortened this year's season to 25 days, beginning February 15.
Charlotte Renner reports from Maine Public Radio.
A full shrimp season would usually last six months. But with only 25 days
to make their haul, some Maine harvesters say they won't even bother to
gear up, and a few may go out of business. But Maine's loss is likely to
be Canada's gain. Dan Schick is a shellfish specialist with the state's
Department of Marine Resources:
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Schick says colder waters farther north could keep consumers well fed on
what some consider a seasonal delicacy. Canadians, he says, will at least
keep the market open for a return by local harvesters, if and when stocks
rebound in the Gulf of Maine. But until then, Maine shrimpers are going to
have a tough time turning a profit during the shorter season, and Schick
says if they haul in too many juvenile shrimp they could delay a comeback
for the fishery.
SFX Hugos
During a normal six-month season, small Maine shrimp show up in markets
and restaurants right about now, during the holiday season, and remain
available until May. Rob Evans, chef and owner of Hugo's restaurant,
eagerly awaits the arrival of the delicacy, which he advises cooking
gently for no more than ten or twenty seconds
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But if Evans wants fresh shrimp before the beleagured Maine fleet begins
their haul next Valentine's Day, he may have a tough time finding it.
Hannaford supermarket spokeswoman Karen Epstein says Canadian shrimp is
not a good substitute for the catch from Maine:
[CLIP]
Last year, shrimp brought about four point two million dollars in revenue
into New England's economy. About 80 per cent of it came from Maine.
For NHPR news, I'm Charlotte Renner in Portland Maine
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