Saving Seafood

MAINE: 8 Investigates: Are Maine officials enforcing child labor laws in the fishing industry?

April 1, 2026 — A Maine state lawmaker says a recent child labor violation against him was politically motivated, as the case draws attention to how state law is applied in the fishing industry.

Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham was fined for failing to keep proper records after allowing a 14-year-old family friend to work on his lobster boat.

The case exposes a bit of a legal gray area. Kids aren’t allowed to do hazardous work, but lobstering, which is different from working with heavy machinery or toxic chemicals, isn’t specifically prohibited.

Many in Maine’s fishing industry say it is common practice for young people to work on boats as part of longstanding family traditions.

Read the full article at WMTW

MAINE: The Fragile Hope for Salmon Recovery in Maine

March 30, 2026 — On a bright March morning, Paul Christman hiked through deep snowdrifts on the bank of Avon Valley Brook in the western Maine mountains, leading a crew wearing waders and shouldering unwieldy backpacks.

One crew member carried a pack basket loaded with battered funnels crafted from stovepipes, duct tape and plumbing pipes. Another lugged a water pump. The last brought a cooler full of thousands of fertilized Atlantic salmon eggs.

The stream was mostly iced over, but Mr. Christman, a marine scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, found some open water on the brook, a tributary to the Sandy River.

“This is a really good spot,” Mr. Christman said. “The river is picking up velocity and shoving that water into the gravel, so we’re going to set up right here and do it.”

For 20 years, Mr. Christman has been working to restore salmon to this Sandy River watershed, where they were eradicated after dams built in the 1800s blocked their passage.

The strategy is producing thousands of juvenile salmon that migrate to the North Atlantic, but just a handful that return to Maine to spawn as adults.

Now, a $300 million project to remove or modify four dams downstream on the Kennebec River is infusing the work with new hope, possibly clearing the way for salmon to swim freely up to the Sandy River within a decade.

Hundreds of thousands of Atlantic salmon once flooded rivers in New England. For millenniums, the fish have been valued by Native Americans in the region as sustenance and cultural touchstones.

But marine survival rates for Atlantic salmon have plummeted over the last 35 years, for reasons that are complex and interwoven, including changing prey, shifting currents and warming waters.

More recently, they’ve been regarded by anglers as the “king of fish.” But by 2000, their numbers had fallen so low that federal regulators listed them for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Early recovery efforts focused on the last remaining populations of Atlantic salmon in the United States, all in Maine, in the Penobscot River, and the Mid-coast and Down East regions.

Read the full article at The New York Times

King, Murkowski Introduce Legislation to Strengthen American Fisheries

March 30, 2026 — The following was released by the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King:

U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have introduced legislation to strengthen the American seafood industry by treating it the same as the nation’s farmlands. The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would expand access to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan and grant programs for commercial fishermen, seafood processors, and mariculture-related businesses. The legislation would also expand Farm Credit eligibility to businesses providing services to fisherman and fish processors.

“Whether your crops have seeds or scales, America’s food producers are essential to our economy and food supply, so we should seek economic parity for the men and women who work in the seafood industry,” said Senator King. “The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would help level the playing field and ensure our lobstermen and shellfish growers have access to the resources they need to grow and compete. That way, we can ensure the ‘Way Life Should Be’ for generations to come.”

“In Alaska, agriculture isn’t just cattle and livestock in Delta Junction or carrot farms in Palmer—it also includes kelp farms in Douglas, oyster operations on Prince of Wales Island, and gillnetters in Bristol Bay harvesting our world-class salmon,” said Senator Murkowski. “These uniquely Alaska enterprises have been left out of some of America’s agricultural landscape, yet they play a vital role in our food security across the state. It’s past time our fishing and mariculture industries can access the same financing opportunities as farmers in the heartland.”

More specifically the American Seafood Competitiveness Act would:

  • Amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to include commercial fishing and fish processing as eligible agricultural activities under USDA programs.
  • Include wild-caught fish and shellfish as eligible agricultural products under USDA’s Local Agricultural Market Program and allow USDA to waive or reduce matching fund requirements, lowering barriers for small and rural operators.
  • Update USDA regulations to ensure seafood processors can access financing to acquire or upgrade processing facilities and address significant operating costs.
  • Expand eligibility for USDA farm ownership and operating loans to allow fishermen to purchase permits, acquire vessels, make capital improvements, and cover operating and maintenance costs.
  • Broaden Farm Credit eligibility to businesses that support fishermen and fish processors, providing access to lending from Farm Credit institutions similar to that available to farm-related businesses.
  • Create additional financing options for coastal businesses and rural communities that rely on the seafood economy, in the same manner as those supported by traditional agriculture.

The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would recognize the seafood industry’s role as “farmers of the sea” by ensuring they have the same opportunities as traditional farmers.

Senator King is a longtime supporter of Maine’s lobster and seafood industry and has worked to ensure Maine fishermen have the same access to federal support as traditional farmers. Last year, he led the Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act (FICA) which would allow businesses that provide direct assistance to fishing operations—like gear producers or cold storage—to access loans from the Farm Credit System (FCS) that are already offered to service providers for farmers, ranchers and loggers. The American Seafood Competitiveness Act includes the assistance programs from FICA in addition to the other proposed programs that extend economic aid to fish and seafood businesses.

MAINE: Maine lobster industry hit by harsh winter, falling catch and rising costs

March 26, 2026 — Maine’s lobster industry is facing mounting pressure after a harsh winter reduced fishing activity, slowed catches and added to rising costs across the sector.

A key driver was fewer days on the water. Maine lobster harvesters took more than 21,000 fewer fishing trips in 2025 than in 2024, the agency said. Total landings fell to just over 78 million pounds, the lowest level since 2008.

“It started in December, and in December you usually get to fish a lot of days, and we didn’t get to fish,” said lobsterman Greg Turner.

Turner, who has worked on a boat since childhood, said crews were only able to fish about half as many days as normal during peak winter months.

“If it’s zero out, and it’s blowing negative 25, you can’t go because it’s just – if something happened – you’d be done. You’d die out there, probably,” said Turner.

Read the full article at Fox Business 

MAINE: UMaine’s Local Catch Network: Bolstering seafood businesses and coastal communities nationwide

March 26, 2026 — Dayboat scallops from inshore waters — known for their succulent texture and optimal balance of buttery and briny flavors — are unlike any other, according to Downeast Dayboat founder Togue Brawn.

Most scallops can take many days — if not weeks — to reach shore after they are harvested, but dayboat scallops are brought back within 24 hours to be sold, packaged, shipped or frozen.

Brawn launched Downeast Dayboat in 2011 to share the product she loves with customers nationwide. While the business showed promise, Brawn said her technical savvy didn’t match her passion. She searched for business consultants who could help her plan for long-term stability and growth but worried they would be too expensive or prioritize profit over her commitment to supporting Maine seafood.

Then she applied to join the Local Catch Network, an organization anchored at the University of Maine that offers free business and technical assistance, scientific research and networking opportunities for seafood businesses nationwide. The goal is to grow community-based seafood systems by supporting businesses committed to the well-being of their coastal communities and marine ecosystems.

Read the full article at the University of Maine

Fish quality hub to help fishermen boost value, compete with imports

March 24, 2026 —  New England’s fishing heritage runs deep — but that legacy is under pressure. Regional seafood businesses are closing or struggling to keep pace with a flood of international imports, even as local fisheries remain healthy and abundant. To help level the playing field, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) has launched the Fish Quality Resource Hub, a free online platform designed to give fishermen and seafood businesses practical, low-cost tools to improve product quality and increase their value in the marketplace.

The challenge is a familiar one to anyone working the docks. Modern refrigeration technology and efficient global logistics mean that fish caught halfway around the world can reach a Portland restaurant in days — erasing the geographic advantage that once gave New England fishermen a natural edge. Competing on price alone is rarely a winning strategy against large-scale international operations, which is why GMRI and its partners turned their focus to quality.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Inaugural North Atlantic Blue BioTech Summit working to boost seafood industry via tech innovation

March 23, 2026 — The U.S. fishery and aquaculture industries are leaving money on the table, but a collection of investment groups and scientific institutions are working to change that via the recently launched North Atlantic Blue BioTech Summit.

Begun by the Bigelow Laboratory of Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine, U.S.A., as well as aquaculture investment firm Hatch Blue, the inaugural summit took place on 19 March and brought investors, startups, educators, academics, and more to Portland, Maine, to discuss how biotech solutions can unlock value for the seafood industry.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAINE: Vinalhaven lobsterman petitions Supreme Court over GPS tracking mandate

March 20, 2026 — A Maine lobsterman is continuing his fight against a GPS tracking mandate, hoping to bring the case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Frank Thompson, a fifth-generation lobsterman from Vinalhaven, and the Florida-based Pacific Legal Foundation jointly petitioned the Supreme Court this month to hear an appeal in his federal district court case.

Since late 2023, federally permitted lobster boats on the East Coast have been required to have a global positioning system (GPS) transmitter aboard at all times. The federal Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission enacted the mandate to collect data about fisheries stock and aid in conservation efforts, including for endangered whales.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources later adopted the mandate, which also collects data for “emerging ocean uses, and enforcement.”

Read the full article at Bangor Daily News

Lobster rolls approach $50, but Bostonians appear happy to shell out

March 19, 2026 — How much would you pay for a lobster roll? Martha Stewart recently declared that she wouldn’t serve a one that cost $60 at her new restaurant at Foxwoods Resort Casino. But in the swanky Hamptons, chefs are bracing for a spendy summer, predicting prices will approach $50.

Maine lobster landings have declined for the fourth straight year, state fishing regulators said, as the industry struggles with soaring expenses, including inflation, and climate change, which has driven more lobsters north into Canadian waters.

Lobster rolls aren’t quite $50 in Boston, but they’re getting close. That’s put restaurateurs in a precarious position over an iconic menu item tourists and locals demand. In many cases, it’s better to break even than to lose customers.

“I can’t really charge you $100 for a lobster roll, even though, over the last two weeks, maybe I should be charging $70 or $80,” said Row 34’s Jeremy Sewall, whose restaurants are known for creamy lobster rolls.

Kathy Sidell of Saltie Girl has always tried to keep her lobster roll at $42 or under. “On rare occasions when the prices skyrocket, I will raise the price to $44. But it’s such a signature dish for us. I believe we should keep it as reasonable as possible, in spite of at some points breaking even or even losing money,” she said.

Read the full article at The Boston Globe

MAINE: Maine lobster landings fall for fourth straight year

March 13, 2026 — Maine lobstermen hauled in fewer lobsters again in 2025, marking the fourth straight year of declining landings for the state’s most valuable fishery.

According to the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), fishermen landed 78.8 million pounds of lobster in 2025, down from more than 110 million pounds in 2021. The total marks the lowest harvest since 2028, though it remains higher than historic averages seen in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The value of the catch also dropped. State officials say the fishery brought in more than $461 million at the dock last year, a decline of over $75 million compared with the previous season.

“This combination of factors likely contributed to the decline from 2024 to 2025 in the lobster harvest of more than eight million pounds and a decrease in the overall value of more than $75 million,” said Carl Wilson, commissioner of the Maine DMR.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman