Saving Seafood

MAINE: Golden pushes for extension of moratorium on right whale, lobster regulations until 2035

July 23, 2025 — The following was released by the office of Congressman Jared Golden:

Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) is urging the House Natural Resources Committee (HNRC) to protect Maine’s lobstermen from new regulations related to the protection of the North Atlantic right whale until 2035.

Golden worked with the Maine delegation and Governor Janet Mills to enact a moratorium on such regulations starting in 2023, but it is scheduled to expire in 2028. The HNRC Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries met today to discuss a draft amendment to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), which would extend the moratorium for seven more years.

“It was only three years ago that Maine’s lobster industry was on the verge of shutting down because of a regulatory process that was based on flawed interpretation of the MMPA and biased modeling that relied heavily on hypothetical threats that fisheries posed to the right whale,” Golden said. “[This amendment] would give the government the time it needs to craft regulations based on real science, reliable data and input from Mainers. And it would give lobstermen the time they need to prepare for whatever additional costs and changes to their harvesting practices may be required by new regulations.”

Golden also introduced into the record a letter in support of the amendment from Maine stakeholders, including the Maine Lobstering Union, Maine Lobster Association, New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association and Downeast Lobstermen’s Association. (See here)

The Congressman’s full remarks, as drafted, are included below: 

“Thank you, Madam Chair. 

“The Marine Mammal Protection Act has a tremendous impact on the lives and livelihoods of the thousands of Maine lobstermen and fishermen I have the privilege to represent. So, I am grateful to you and the Ranking Member for having this hearing to discuss potential changes to the law. 

“I have serious concerns with the MMPA and I believe that changes need to be made to the law to ensure that it cannot be used to shut down entire fisheries and the communities they support. Simply put, the federal government should not be in the business of destroying the lives of hardworking Americans and thousands of small family-owned businesses based on assumptions that are not grounded in sound data.

“This is particularly true when it comes to regulations seeking to protect the North Atlantic right whale. It was only three years ago that Maine’s lobster industry was on the verge of shutting down because of a regulatory process that was based on flawed interpretation of the MMPA and biased modeling that relied heavily on hypothetical threats that fisheries posed to the right whale.

“That is why one of my proudest accomplishments in Congress was the successful effort in 2022 — working with the entire Maine delegation and our governor, on a bipartisan basis — to enact a moratorium on these regulations until 2028, coupled with additional funding to support right whale research. 

“However, based on my conversations with fishermen, more time is needed to incorporate the research and data collected during the pause into future right whale regulations. I am grateful to Congressman Begich of Alaska for working with me on this Discussion Draft and for including a much-needed extension of the regulatory pause until 2035 to ensure that any future actions taken to protect right whales are informed by a greater volume of data.

“I know that some of my colleagues, in the interest of protecting the right whale, have concerns with this Discussion Draft. So, let me share with you some facts: 

“First, and perhaps most importantly: It remains the case that Maine lobstermen do not pose an existential threat to the North Atlantic right whale. In the decades since we began tracking the cause of marine mammal serious injury and mortality, there has been only one instance where Maine lobster gear has been attributed to a right whale death — though even that linkage is tenuous at best. Maine lobstermen have a proven track record of leading the way when it comes to ocean resource conservation and mitigating the risk of whale entanglements, including the adoption of weak links and gear marking. 

“Second: The premise behind the original regulations has since been struck down by the courts. In 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the National Marine Fisheries Service had distorted the science and relied on egregiously wrong interpretations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act in crafting its proposed rules. The Court admonished the agency for basing its edicts on arbitrary, worst-case scenarios that were ‘very likely wrong.’ 

“Third: Fishermen need more time. In part because the court order forced regulators to go back to the drawing board, the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team won’t hold its first meeting on new regulations until 2026. If the moratorium expires in 2028, lobstermen will have insufficient time to plan for new regulations and may well find themselves unable to comply and forced to stop fishing entirely. 

“Maine’s lobster fishery has most recently been valued at more than half a billion dollars — and that’s just the value of the catch. It also supports tens of thousands of jobs. It is an iconic part of our state’s economy, heritage and appeal to visitors. As the largest source of lobster in the country, this fishery is an integral part of domestic and international supply chains.

“Maine’s fishermen are responsible stewards of our marine resources. No one is more invested than they are in ensuring a healthy ocean ecosystem. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. It would give the government the time it needs to craft regulations based on real science, reliable data and input from Mainers. And it would give lobstermen the time they need to prepare for whatever additional costs and changes to their harvesting practices may be required by new regulations. 

“To close Madam Chair, I ask unanimous consent to submit into the record a letter from fishermen on both coasts in support of the MMPA Discussion Draft. Signatories on the letter include my constituents in the Maine Lobstering Union, Maine Lobster Association, New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association and Downeast Lobstermen’s Association. 

“Thank you and I yield back.”

MAINE: Increasing safety for lobster and scallop fishermen becoming reality with Grohoski bill becoming law

June 26, 2025 — Earlier this month, a bill from Sen. Nicole Grohoski, D-Ellsworth, became law without the Governor’s signature. According to a press release, in April, LD 1341, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Marine Resources to Evaluate How to Effectively Allow 2 Licensed Individuals to Fish for Lobsters or Scallops from a Single Vessel,” received a unanimous, bipartisan vote as amended in the Marine Resources Committee. In late May, both the Maine Senate and House voted unanimously in favor of it. LD 1341 directs the Department of Marine Resources to evaluate how two people holding licenses can fish for lobster and scallops on one boat without increasing the total harvest.

“We are hearing more and more from harvesters who are struggling with labor and economic constraints, and many captains are fishing alone under increasingly risky conditions,” said Sen. Grohoski, in the press release. “Allowing —but not requiring—two licensed captains to fish their individual gear from a single vessel could provide immediate relief without increasing overall harvest. This study will allow the Department to find a path forward that safeguards both our marine resources and the people who rely on them.”

Read the full article at the Castine Patriot

MASSCHUSETTS: Cape Cod lobstermen fear loss of livelihood due to Massachusetts red tape

June 23, 2025 — Cape Cod lobstermen are trying to fend off state and federal regulations that they say could put them out of business in an effort that an attorney describes as a “misguided push for uniformity.”

Beginning July 1, lobstermen will face strict rules when harvesting certain female lobsters in state and federal waters around outer Cape Cod, extending from Chatham to Provincetown’s Race Point, including a part of upper Cape Cod Bay.

The Outer Cape Lobstermen’s Association, a group of roughly 70 Massachusetts-licensed lobster trap fishers, is fighting back against the state Division of Marine Fisheries and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, reopening a decades-old federal complaint.

The dispute will be heard in a status conference scheduled for Monday in Boston federal court.

Lobstermen in the Outer Cape Cod Conservation Management Area have been allowed to catch so-called V-notched lobsters under a 2000 settlement, but the rules set to go into effect next week will essentially ban that fishing, according to an attorney for the association.

In 2000, the association and the Commonwealth established a “regulatory regime” for outer Cape Cod distinct from other lobster conservation management areas in the state. The settlement permitted lobstermen in the region to fish for most V-notched lobsters in exchange for stricter gauge size requirements.

Read the full article at Boston Herald

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick vows to support Maine lobster, suggests industry will be exempt from tariffs on Canada

June 9, 2025 — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick vowed to protect and support Maine lobster during a hearing on his department’s budget plans, while suggesting that Maine lobster processed in Canada would likely be unaffected by new tariffs.

“This administration views the Maine lobster industry as an American treasure, and we need to protect it,” Lutnick told lawmakers during a 4 June budget hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

EU open to extending lobster deal in package on Trump tariffs, FT reports

May 28, 2025 — The European Union is open to extending a deal which allows the duty-free import of U.S. lobsters as part of a broader package aimed at removing U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing two officials.

The EU’s current regulation eliminating customs duties for fresh and frozen lobsters from the U.S. expires on July 31. The lobster deal between the U.S. and EU was struck in 2020 during Trump’s first term.

Read the full article at Reuters

Cooler water bottom temperatures could aid New England fisheries

May 28, 2025 — Cold water flowing into the the Gulf of Maine from Canada’s Maritimes region this spring and summer could have a positive impact on key seafood species whose U.S. populations have plummeted due to climate change-induced warming waters, according to new NOAA research.

Data shows that since late 2023, a shift in the eastern Gulf Stream has helped chill bottom-water temperatures in the Northwest Atlantic, which could result in an influx of cold water into northernmost New England. Researchers from the agency’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center say flows from Canada’s Labrador Slope and Scotian Shelf could result in the Gulf of Maine being 0.9 to 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the summer average.

The Gulf of Maine is one of the fastest-warming ocean regions in the world, according to NOAA, where rising water temperatures have spurred migration of lobster and other fish species toward Canadian waters in the Bay of Fundy. The result has been a steep dropoff in southern New England’s lobster economy to the benefit of lobstermen in the Gulf of Maine.

Read the full article at E&E News

MAINE: Maine lobstermen remain mighty political force despite shrinking numbers

May 12, 2025 — Maine lobstermen once held more than 7,000 commercial licenses, but now about half many actively fish for Maine’s most valuable catch.

The decline has occurred since the late 1990s as Maine’s commercial fishing industry, which is dominated by lobstermen, faces increasing challenges in the form of climate change, increased regulation and competition for space in the Gulf of Maine.

While the drop has been gradual, its effects could be far-reaching, given lobstermen’s central role in Maine’s coastal economy and their political might in both Augusta and Washington D.C.

On the local level, declining numbers of lobstermen could take away a key economic support for Maine towns and businesses that rely on the fishery.

Read the full article at Bangor Daily News

American Lobster Board Approves Addendum XXXII to Repeal Addendum XXVII Gauge and Escape Vent Measures

May 6, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board approved Addendum XXXII to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. The Addendum repeals all gauge and escape vent size measures from Addendum XXVII. Measures related to the v-notch possession definition and the issuance of trap tags are maintained.

In October 2023, under Addendum XXVII a series of changes to the current gauge and escape vent sizes in Lobster Conservation Management Areas (LCMAs) 1 (Gulf of Maine), 3 (federal waters), and Outer Cape Cod was triggered based on observed declines in recruit abundance indices. The Board postponed the implementation of Addendum XXVII to January 1, 2025 to allow the Gulf of Maine states the opportunity to coordinate with Canada regarding possible trade implications and give the industry and gauge makers additional time to prepare for these changes. In October 2024, the Board further delayed implementation of the gauge and vent size measures, and v-notch possession definition of Addendum XXVII to July 1, 2025.

Addendum XXXII responds to industry concerns about the potential economic impacts of an increase to the minimum gauge size in the Gulf of Maine. By repealing the gauge and vent size measures, the Gulf of Maine states will have the opportunity to engage with the lobster industry, including Lobster Conservation Management Area Teams, to identify alternative conservation measures to protect the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank stock. Maine and New Hampshire reported to the Board that they have already begun convening stakeholder meetings to discuss the state of the fishery and potential management approaches.

Addendum XXXII will be available on the Commission website, asmfc.org, on the American lobster webpage by next week. For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

 

Salmon and lobster in harmony

March 31, 2025 — There is quite a pile of evidence at this point that wild lobster populations have historically co-existed very nicely with salmon farming, but new chapters of this story continue to be written. 

Just recently, in November 2024, a lawsuit was filed by a U.S.-based environmental group Conservation Law Foundation against Cooke Aquaculture, contending that its salmon farming sites off the Maine coast involve dischargement of “pollutants such as fish feces, dead fish and trash.” 

Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association, has stated publicly that the lawsuit was a surprise as this group has worked with salmon farmers to develop environmental standards. He did not respond to a request for further comment, but Joel Richardson, vice-president of Public Relations at Cooke, says it’s irresponsible for this group or anyone else to claim that modern marine finfish aquaculture harms lobsters.

“It is simply not true,” says Richardson. “Salmon aquaculture and the lobster fishery have co-existed in Atlantic Canada and Maine waters for more than 40 years under the existing environmental compliance criteria. Cooke’s Atlantic Canadian and Maine salmon farms are routinely inspected by government regulators and subject to regular monitoring reports. Lobster landings are not negatively affected by Atlantic salmon farms. In fact, lobster fishers are welcome to set lobster gear alongside and within aquaculture lease boundaries and they tell us they have success in every location where we operate. We support wild fisheries harvesters and their families 100 percent. We all need strong working waterfronts in our rural coastal communities.” 

Read the full article at Aquaculture North America

NOAA Issues Ropeless Gear Advisory to Mariners as Testing Begins

March 29, 2025 — NOAA Fisheries is testing ropeless fishing gear for lobster and crab around the Gulf of Maine and around Cape Cod.

The testing is being carried out in areas that are otherwise restricted to fishing for certain portions of the year.

The gear does not have a marking buoy on the surface to avoid entanglements with sea life, instead only utilizing ropes when it’s time to be collected.

Read the full article at CapeCod.com