Saving Seafood

Maine Lobstering Union’s Lobster 207 wins $5M settlement

January 9, 2025 — The Maine Lobstering Union’s cooperative, Lobster 207, recently closed a significant chapter with a settlement exceeding $5 million, marking the end of a five-year legal battle against its former CEO, Warren Pettegrow, and his family.

This victory represents not only a financial win but also a pivotal moment in the co-op’s mission to uphold fairness in Maine’s famed lobster industry.

According to Maine Biz, the dispute began after Lobster 207 purchased the wholesale division of Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound in 2017, bringing Warren Pettegrow on as CEO. The Pettegrows agreed to step away from the wholesale business to avoid competition with Lobster 207. However, by 2019, allegations of financial misconduct and breaches of this agreement surfaced, leading to a lawsuit in federal court. The co-op accused the Pettegrows of fraudulent practices, which included issuing false invoices and competing directly with the business they had sold to Lobster 207.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

MAINE: Union-owned Lobster 207 gets “Fair Trade” certification

February 21, 2020 — Lobster 207, the wholesale and retail cooperative owned by the Maine Lobstering Union, can now market its lobsters with the trademarked “Fair Trade” seal after certification by the nonprofit Fair Trade USA.

Based on compliance with the organization’s extensive, 105-page Capture Fisheries Standard, the certification confirms that lobstermen selling their catch to the co-op, and the co-op itself, have met the rigorous standards set by Fair Trade for environmental stewardship, social responsibility and fair labor practices. According to a statement released by Lobster 207, more than 4,500 fishermen around the world have been certified under the Fair Trade Capture Fisheries Standard. Lobster 207 represents the only group of lobstermen worldwide who have received the certification.

The Fair Trade certification can have significant benefits for marketers. Among them, Lobster 207’s catch may be sold with the “Fair Trade Premium” that allows a percentage of the sale proceeds to be returned to the lobstermen’s community.

“With our Fair Trade Premium, a portion of every pound of Fair Trade lobster sold will go into a community development fund,” Mike Yohe, CEO of Lobster 207, said in a statement. “This money will go right back into our communities to improve the livelihoods of our lobstermen and their families.”

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American