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Good morning,
The DMR Advisory Council has reviewed and approved the proposed rulemaking for Chapter 11 Scallops, setting the 2025-2026 season. This notice is to inform harvesters that scallop season materials are now available on the DMR website under "Information for the 2025-2026 Scallop Season" and to also provide a summary of changes for the upcoming 2025-2026 season.
Highlights for 2025-2026:
- As a reminder for all zones, scallop harvest begins 1/2 hour before sunrise.
- For Zone 1, Outer Western Casco Bay, Sheepscot River, Damariscotta River and Muscle Ridge are open as Limited Access Areas;
- For Zone 2, Upper Cranberry Isles and East Moosabec Reach are closed to all harvest for conservation.
The 2025-2026 Scallop season page is active! It contains the following downloadable documents:
- 2024-2025 Drag Calendars (see attached)
- 2024-2025 Dive Calendars (see attached)
- Individual charts for printing of all Zones
The online Scallop Management Areas Map has a NEW URL! Please update your bookmark to the new URL address. The online scallop charts have been updated to reflect this season's limited access areas and conservation closures.
The calendar pdfs (attached links below) also include the Augusta sunrise tables for the duration of the scallop season as a quick reference.
And a reminder about electronic reporting:
Scallop fishery requires electronic reporting of day trips, submitted weekly by Sunday 11:59 p.m. The same information previously requested via paper logbooks can be submitted either through using the online LEEDS reporting platform or the VESL harvester application for iPhone and Android smartphones. For assistance with online reporting, please contact [email protected] or 207-633-9414.
For questions on scallop management, contact [email protected] @ 207.441.5040. Also, scallop questions may be directed to your local patrol officers; Patrol Division Lts (633-9595 for Division 1, or 664-2392 for Division 2).
For questions on scallop science, surveys, etc., contact Carl Huntsberger. Email: [email protected] or Phone: 207.350.6004.
CONCISE SUMMARY:
This rule-making establishes the 2025-2026 scallop fishing season. Daily possession limits of 15 gallons for Zone 1 and Zone 2, and 10 gallons for Zone 3 remain unchanged. For Zone 1, a 60-day season for draggers begins on December 8, 2025 and the last day of the season is March 24, 2026. For Zone 1, a 60-day season for divers starts on December 3, 2025 and the last day of the season is April 29, 2026. For Zone 2, a 70-day season for draggers starts on December 1, 2025 and the last day of the season is March 31, 2026. For Zone 2, a 70-day season for divers starts on November 18, 2025 and the last day of the season is April 18, 2026. For Zone 3, a 50-day season for draggers begins on December 1, 2025 and the last day of the season is March 25, 2026. For Zone 3, a 50-day season for divers begins on December 4, 2025 and the last day of the season is March 28, 2026.
DMR will maintain existing limited access areas: Muscle Ridge, and Whiting and Denny’s Bays. Additionally, the following existing targeted closures are maintained: Lower Muscle Ridge, Upper Sheepscot River, New Meadows River, Card Cove and Beals-Jonesport Bridge. New limited access areas include Outer Western Casco Bay, Sheepscot River, and Damariscotta River in Zone 1. Moosabec Reach and Upper Cranberries in Zone 2 are new targeted closures for recovery and rebuilding.
Harvesting scallops by hand (diving) is restricted to Rotation A (First) only for the 2025-2026 season. Harvesting scallops by dredge gear is restricted to Rotation B (Second) only for the 2025-2026 season. Rotation C is closed to all harvest.
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