November 9, 2026 — The Maine Lobstermen’s Association says the federal government has changed its whale policy. It says the change comes after a court win over the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regarding protections for the endangered North American right whale.
In June 2023, an appeals court sided with lobstermen, who argued that the NMFS acted arbitrarily by failing to rely on the best available scientific information and by failing to account for the positive impact of conservation measures already adopted by the Maine lobster fishery. The ruling overturned an earlier ruling in favor of the federal government, which the Maine Lobstermen’s Association appealed in 2022.