Maine Shrimpers Having Good Season

Seafod.com.  Well, it might not be that huge, but relatively speaking the amount of shrimp being caught in Maine waters and the price it is fetching on the market are both doing well this year, according to officials.

The fishery for northern shrimp is relatively small. The federal catch limit for shrimp is 4,900 metric tons, while the limit for herring, for example, is more than 100,000 metric tons. The 4,900 metric tons is equal to about 10.8 million pounds.

In 2008, northern shrimp accounted for only 4 percent of all the commercial fish species landed in Maine and for only 1 percent of the overall value of those landings, according to the state Department of Marine Resources.

But by most accounts, the fishermen who have gone out for shrimp during the 2010 season, which runs through May 29, have been catching more than they did in 2009's season.

Verbal reports indicate landings have been high so far this winter, though they may be starting to taper off a bit. Reports indicate that  the approximate price for shrimp has been higher, too, at around 50 cents or more per pound.

No one seems sure why the 2010 season has been more robust. It could be water temperature or a crop of larger shrimp but there seem to be more shrimp along most of the coast this year.

According to DMR statistics, shrimp landings and value have fluctuated greatly over the past several decades. In 1996, nearly 18 million pounds of shrimp were landed in Maine, but by 2002 that number had shrunk to 845,000 pounds. During those intervening years, the average annual price had fluctuated roughly between 80 cents and $1 per pound, but in 2006 and 2007 the average annual statewide price had fallen to around 30 cents per pound. In 2008, Maine landings had risen back to 8.4 million pounds and the state's average annual price was just below 50 cents.