MAINE PUBLIC • November 28, 2022
Maine fishermen say a series of upcoming changes to the state's menhaden quota should bring more certainty to lobstermen and others who rely on the fishery as a source of affordable bait. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission sets a series of quotas for the commercial menhaden fishery in the Northeast. Fishermen lobbied for a higher quota, as menhaden have become abundant off the Gulf of Maine. And lobstermen have come to rely on them as an affordable local source of bait. Starting next year, Maine will be allotted nearly 5% of the total allowable catch, up from just a half-percent in previous years.