Tag Archives: Congressman Jared Golden
Maine lobstermen worried about cuts to how much herring they can catch for bait
Fishermen in Maine say they’re dealing with a new setback: a nearly 90 percent cut in how much herring they can bring in to bait lobster. Congressman Jared Golden says he’s opposed to the limit, which would reduce the herring catch by 89 percent over three years. “What was troubling with this decision is there was no impact study done to us as fishermen, just an environmental study that was based on essentially one year of a proper study, to have implications to destroy an entire economic sector of Maine,” fisherman Ryan Raber said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:19
Lobster fishery set for reprieve on size limits
A second delay to implementing minimum gauge and vent sizes for lobsters caught in the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and Outer Cape Cod was initiated last week by the American Lobster Board, which operates under the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), a measure that Maine lobstermen, and Congressman Jared Golden, have hoped and pushed for. The new implementation date would be July 1, 2025, if the measure is adopted by the ASMFC’s American Lobster Board. An earlier delay the ASMFC approved had pushed back to Jan. 1, 2025, the new gauge and escape vent sizes in lobster traps for commercial lobster fisheries in the targeted lobster management areas. When the measure was first approved, it was to take effect based on a “trigger” mechanism. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:52
Golden introduces amendment to block gauge increase for Maine lobstermen
Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today introduced a bipartisan amendment to block for one year a proposed gauge increase in the Gulf of Maine by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Golden submitted his amendment for consideration in the Fiscal Year 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) cosponsored the amendment. “Gauge increases are a significant change that must be informed by the best possible science, and both Maine lobstermen and the fishery itself lose when Canada isn’t held to the same standards.” Golden said. “It’s clear that regulators need to work much closer with fishermen to keep the industry sustainable and competitive.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:08
State backs lobstermen in urging regulators to reevaluate changes to minimum size
The rules, which are set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, will increase the minimum size from 3 1/4 inches to 3 5/16 inches, on the gauges that lobstermen use to measure lobsters and determine whether they are allowed to harvest them. A second increase would take effect two years later, bringing the minimum to 3 3/8 inches. The rules also affect the vents in traps that allow undersized lobsters to escape. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission says it is making the changes to preserve the long-term future of the lobster population in the Gulf of Maine, which federal data show has sharply dropped. Lobstermen also question the accuracy of the federal data – saying that it was corrected over a small and abnormal time frame that doesn’t indicate the reality of population trends. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:23
Fishermen call for a delay to upcoming lobster size rules
Congressman Jared Golden is calling on fishery regulators to delay upcoming rules that will change the minimum catch sizes for lobster in certain parts of Maine. Officials have said the changes are necessary after they observed a troubling decline in the juvenile lobster population over a three-year period. The new management measures are intended to allow sublegal lobsters to reproduce before being harvested. But some Maine fishermen are questioning that data, and on Tuesday, many turned out at a meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to express their concerns. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 05:50
Red Listing Monterey Bay Aquarium Act – Maine politicians call for defunding of Monterey Bay Aquarium
Lawmakers from Maine have introduced a bill that would defund the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Seafood Watch following the organizations red listing of the American lobster. Congressman Jared Golden and Senator Angus King announced on Wednesday that they were introducing the Red Listing Monterey Bay Aquarium Act in the House and Senate. The bill would prohibit federal taxpayer funds from going to the aquarium, Seafood Watch and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. According to a release from Golden’s office, the aquarium has received nearly $200 million in taxpayer money since 2001. >click to read< 15:45