MAINE PUBLIC • September 30, 2021
Scientists think they've found the chief culprit in the collapse of Maine's prized shrimp fishery. They're pointing the finger at a voracious species of squid that rode in on warming waters almost ten years ago. Maine shrimp were long a regional delicacy fishermen and diners alike looked forward to each fall, with 10 million pounds and more harvested annually earlier in this century. While they're small compared to other commercially-harvested shrimp, fans say they are sweeter too. But in 2012, their population collapsed, federal regulators closed the fishery, and they haven't recovered since.