November 11, 2026 — Following a victory in court against the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association says the federal government has changed its policy regarding endangered north American right whales.
“They were using very flawed data, actually the worst-case scenario data, and we were being charged with harming right whales, which we know we haven’t,” said Sonny Beal, Chairman of the Lobstermen’s Association.
In a statement on November 5th, the Fisheries service announced that new scientific analysis showed U.S. fisheries may actually be meeting the standard for protecting the whales.