- Division of Marine Fisheries
In January 2026, the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) initiated a pilot program to increase inshore sea scallop fishing access during the winter period by allowing permit holders to tow scallop drags (dredges) inside two discrete areas off Salem and Gloucester on the north shore from February 15–April 30. This program is widely considered a success in terms of providing additional fishing access with limited incidence of non-compliance or user group conflict. DMF will review the program with the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission in the coming months and determine how best to proceed for 2027.
To participate in this pilot program, DMF required applicants to hold a valid 2026 Mobile Gear Coastal Access Permit allowing the towing of scallop dredge gear, have verifiable landings of sea scallops from state waters and a clean enforcement record over the past three calendar years (2023–2025), and install and maintain an operable, approved electronic vessel tracking device. The vessel tracker was required to ensure compliance with the spatial boundaries of the exemption areas and to collect high resolution spatial data on where fishery activity occurred (refer to heat map).
In total, 31 permit holders were approved to participate in this pilot program in 2026. Of these, 21 vessels participated, with fishing activity as part of the pilot program occurring on an estimated 262 trips. According to data available as of June 2026, DMF estimates that approximately 27,000 pounds of scallop meat were landed, valuing about $690,000.
This pilot program was the product of an industry request for DMF to consider opening areas within the Year-Round North Shore Mobile Gear Closure Area during the winter months. Whereas these areas were historically closed to mobile gear fishing to prevent gear conflicts with fixed gear fishers, the area is now closed to fixed gear during the winter months to prevent entanglements with North Atlantic right whales. Therefore, allowing sea scallop dragging in this area on a seasonal basis would provide fishers with an alternative seasonal fishery without the risk of gear conflicts. DMF took into account numerous additional factors in determining the spatial parameters for the 2026 pilot program exemption areas including minimizing potential impacts to habitat, aggregations of spawning cod, underwater archaeological artifacts, subsea cables, recreational diving and sea scallop fishing opportunities, and on-demand trap gear testing.
By Jared Silva, Fishery Policy Analyst, and Story Reed, Deputy Director
