Regulators Set New England Shrimp Season

Fisheries regulators have approved a 136-day northern shrimp season for New England fishermen.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's shrimp committee on Wednesday set a season that begins Dec. 1 and ends April 15 after projecting smaller stocks.

Robert Beal, director of the commission's interstate fisheries management program, says regulators set a harvest target of 4,000 metric tons and will meet in late February to evaluate progress. He says regulators could either shorten the season or extend it, depending on progress.

Last year, regulators set a 180-day shrimp season but closed it early. Beal says New England fishermen caught 5,600 metric tons of shrimp last year. Typically, about 90 percent is caught off the Maine coast