Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: Massachusetts government awards USD 1.2 million in commercial fishing grants

December 16, 2025 — The Massachusetts state government has announced USD 1.2 million (EUR 1 million) in grant funding for the state’s commercial fishing sector.

“Massachusetts is home to a nation-leading seafood industry and thriving blue economy. Investing in the strength and resilience of our commercial fishing industry is crucial to sustain our local economies and coastal culture,” Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper said in a release. “We are proud to support our commercial fishers, who provide us with healthy, delicious seafood, all while finding ways to advance innovative research.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Maine politicians call for grant program to help with lobster rules

March 11, 2022 — The members of Maine’s congressional delegation are calling for the creation of a federal grant program to help the lobster industry cope with new rules designed to save whales.

Federal authorities have implemented new restrictions on lobster harvesting in hundreds of miles of productive fishing waters off the Maine coast to protect North Atlantic right whales. That’s among a host of new rules intended to save the whales, which number fewer than 340 in the world.

Members of the New England lobster fishing industry, based largely in Maine, have said the rules will cause severe economic harm to one of the region’s oldest industries.

The four members of the Maine delegation on Tuesday announced a proposed grant program that would provide assistance for fiscal years 2022 to 2024 to help cover the cost of compliance with new rules. The states would get money for the program in proportion to their number of lobstermen.

Read the full story at News Center Maine