Tag Archives: Maine lobstermen
Lobster landings fall to 15-year low; higher prices offset decline
the smallest total catch in 15 years, Maine’s lobstermen saw the second-highest price per pound ever paid at the dock in 2024, according to figures released by Maine’s Department of Marine Resources (DMR). The year’s total catch of 86.1 million pounds was nearly 11 million pounds less than the 93 million pounds reported for 2023. By comparison, from 2010 through 2019, the state’s lobstermen caught more than 100 million pounds every year, with a record catch of 132,604,691 pounds in 2016. Offsetting the decline in the total catch numbers, the price per pound that lobstermen received at the dock rose to a near-record $6.14 from just $4.97 for the previous year, trailing only the $6.71 paid in 2021. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:28
Canadian tariffs would ‘cripple’ Maine lobster industry, state’s top fisheries leader says
Maine’s outgoing commissioner of marine resources is warning about the dire impacts of newly imposed tariffs on Canadian imports. Maine sends about $200 million worth of lobster each year to Canada, where it’s processed and sent back to the U.S. or to third markets. Marine Resources Commission Pat Keliher said the tariffs could trigger major cuts in what Maine lobstermen are paid for their catch that could “cripple” the state’s iconic fishery. “The only way for this to be made up on the cost perspective is at the boat price,” Keliher said Tuesday during an appearance on Maine Calling. “So I am very concerned that going into this year, that we are going to see all time low boat prices. And… with the declining volume of lobster, we will see, potentially hundreds of people going out of business because of these tariffs.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:50
Maine: Commercial fishery value increases by $75M in 2024
Commercial seafood landings earned Maine harvesters $74 million more in 2024 than the year before, according to preliminary data the Maine Department of Marine Resources released Thursday. The higher value of Maine lobsters — a year-over-year increase of $46 million — helped drive $74 million more in earnings for commercial harvesters across the board. “During a year shaped by unprecedented storms and damage to our working waterfronts, Maine’s commercial fishermen, aquaculturists, and seafood dealers once again delivered a major economic benefit to our state,” said Gov. Janet Mills. Even though in 2024, Maine’s commercial lobster fishery rose in value, about 10 million less pounds of lobsters landed on the docks. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:24
Most Maine lobstermen have resisted alternative fishing gear. A new initiative hopes to change that
Brooke Hachey of the Sunrise County Economic Council is leading a demonstration of a kind of “on demand,” sometimes called “ropeless” lobster fishing gear. In a bid to protect North Atlantic right whales from extinction, many scientists are promoting this kind of alternative lobster fishing gear that minimizes the risks of entanglement. While some lobstermen in Massachusetts have agreed to use this new gear in exchange for accessing closed areas of Cape Cod Bay, most Maine lobstermen have been reluctant — if not outright resistant — to the new technology. The state, along with a coalition of other partners, have launched a new gear testing and lending program in effort to — at least — change the conversation. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:54
Judge allows Maine lobstermen’s lawsuit over ‘red listing’ to advance
After almost two years in limbo, a defamation lawsuit Maine lobstering groups filed against a California aquarium can move forward, a federal judge ruled Friday. The Maine Lobsterman’s Association, the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association and three lobster businesses sued the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation in 2023 after the organization’s Seafood Watch program put lobster on a “red list” of seafood consumers should avoid. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation argued that it has a right to make its rating based on Maine’s free speech laws. But U.S. District Judge John Woodcock disagreed. Maine lobstermen have said that the red listing not only is false but also has caused significant economic harm to them and the Maine lobster brand. Companies like Whole Foods, Hello Fresh and Blue Apron subsequently pulled Gulf of Maine lobster from their menus, in line with Seafood Watch’s allegations. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:42
Golden, Van Drew introduce bill to guarantee critical Gulf of Maine fishing waters are protected from offshore wind development
Congressmen Jared Golden (ME-02) and Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02) today introduced the bipartisan Northern Fisheries Heritage Protection Act of 2025. The bill would prohibit commercial offshore wind energy development in Lobster Management Area 1 (LMA1), which includes nearly 14,000 square miles of nearshore fishing waters from the U.S.-Canada maritime border to the north shore of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. “Maine’s fishermen deserve to know that waters critical to our historic, high-value industry are protected — not by promises, but by federal law,” Golden said. “Protecting the bountiful natural resources of LMA1 from development will preserve our way of life, local economies and communities. President Trump’s recent Executive Order provides some measure of reprieve, but we need a more permanent solution.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:05
NH Gov. Kelly Ayotte joins Maine in rejecting new lobster regulations to protect industry
New Hampshire has joined Maine in rejecting new regulations that would increase the minimum length of catchable lobster this summer. Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte sent a letter to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) that oversees lobster caught by New Hampshire and Maine fishermen, stating New Hampshire would not comply with the guidelines set to go into effect July 1. The new regulation requires an increase in the size of the gauge used by fishermen to measure lobster length, determining whether they can be caught or must be released. Lobstermen measure the size of a lobster by gauging its carapace (shell) from the eye socket to the tail. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:36
Trump to Rescue Maine’s Lobstermen
The end is coming for overregulation – including fisheries. Good ideas can become excessive, necessitating curtailment, and a restoration of balance. Maine’s lobstermen – pounded by regulations – represent a shocking example of industry overregulation. Trump is about to save them. Even before last week, Maine’s lobstermen were suffering. In my youth, growing up in Maine limits on who, how, and where one lobstered were largely self-set, lobstermen knowing well where they put their traps, respecting others, one trap per line, and no overfishing. The reason for respect among lobstermen, no overfishing, limits what was kept (no breeders, no shorts), how many traps, when seasons started and finished, was self-preservation. Boats were handed from fathers to sons, sometimes daughters, with respect for the sea. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:21 By Robert Charles
NEFSA defeats menace to iconic Maine lobster
Lobstermen in Maine are breathing a sigh of relief after regulators walked back a plan that would have put many fishermen out of business. The state of Maine will not cooperate with a dangerous regulatory proposal to raise minimum allowable catch size for lobster after a spirited hearing on January 9th. The size increase would have deprived lobstermen of their most popular products, further straining their multi-generational businesses and historic communities. “Lobstermen everywhere are relieved that the Maine Department of Resources stepped back from the brink,” said NEFSA COO Dustin Delano, a fourth generation lobsterman. “Raising the minimum catch size would have driven countless lobstermen off the water and opened our market to foreign competitors.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:10
NH and Maine lobstermen push back against new size rule amid economic fears
The regulation involves an increase in the size of the gauge used by fishermen to measure lobster length to determine if they can be caught or must be released. The new rule, however, has received blowback from local lobstermen. Maine has opted not to implement the change in response to concerns from the lobster industry, while lawmakers in New Hampshire are advocating for their leaders to make a similar decision. State Rep. Aboul Khan, R-Seabrook, warns that the new rule could lead to a loss of a third of lobstermen’s catch this year, adding to the challenges already posed by existing regulations. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:06
Maine Reverses Course on Regulation Increasing Minimum Legal Lobster Size
Following a meeting in Augusta this past Thursday where dozens of lobstermen voiced strong opposition to the rule change, Maine Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) Commissioner Patrick Keliher issued a statement announcing the decision. “Last night, after hearing loud and clear from Maine lobster industry members that they are unified in their opposition to a proposed rule change that would increase the minimum gauge size starting in July of this year, with approval from Governor Mills I decided to pull the regulation,” Commissioner Keliher wrote. “I called up the governor on the way in. I explained to her what the risks were associated with compliance with the ASMFC,” Keliher said later during the meeting. “She agreed with me that we should withdraw the rule.” Short clip, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:44
Lobstermen relieved after officials scrap proposed change to harvest
Maine lobstermen are breathing a sigh of relief after a contentious proposal to increase the minimum lobster size was withdrawn Thursday night in Augusta. The decision came after a heated public meeting hosted by the Maine Department of Marine Resources, during which lobstermen voiced concerns about the rule’s potential impact on their livelihoods. Some lobstermen argued change from the current minimum size of 3.25 inches would reduce their catch by 20 percent, targeting the smaller lobsters that are the most marketable and crucial to their business. Lobstermen also argued that increasing the minimum size wouldn’t conserve the lobster population. Many stated that lobsters thrown back into the ocean would likely fall prey to other predators rather than grow to legal size. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:45
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
Regulators delay increase in minimum lobster size till July
Regulators formally delayed increasing the minimum size of lobsters harvested in the Gulf of Maine to July. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the regulatory body that oversees the fishing industry, voted Monday to delay the resolution by six months. The changes were previously slated to take effect in January, but opponents have argued it would give Canadian lobstermen – unimpacted by the change, though they share the waters – an unfair advantage in the market. Lobstermen also have claimed the change could practically eliminate the harvest of some of the industry’s most popular lobster sizes. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 21:06
Bill to Support Maine’s Lobster Industry Clears Appropriations Committee
U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced significant funding and key language to support Maine’s lobster industry in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill. The bill, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House. “This funding would support Maine’s lobster industry by improving the incomplete and imprecise science and research upon which the federal government relies. The flawed and incomplete data being used to inform regulations has created unnecessary, burdensome requirements for Maine lobstermen and women,” said Senator Collins. “As the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 05:57
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
‘I’m not going to hang around:’ Some Maine lobstermen decide to quit over new regulations
Some lobstermen have decided the paperwork, and more harsh future regulations, aren’t worth it. Bill Coppersmith’s lobster boat is named the “Billy and Andy.” He stopped lobstering the day new reporting requirements started. “Forty-three years of doing it, I took the last of my gear out of the water on New Year’s Day. And I said, ‘That’s probably it,'” Coppersmith said. “It’s come to be too restrictive to go. It creates more work. And I can’t create any more revenue because of the restrictions they’re putting on here.” Lobstermen are also now required to keep a tracking device on board so the Atlantic States Commission can track their movements in the Gulf of Maine. Coppersmith says that’s an invasion of privacy. Video, more, >>click to read<< 06:26
Maine lobstermen will not be scapegoated over right whale
New England fishermen are bracing themselves for another salvo of regulation and activist pressure after the tragic entanglement death of a right whale that washed ashore on Martha’s Vineyard. While the future of our fisheries is uncertain, 2023 showed how much resilience and determination there is in our maritime communities. My organization – the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association – and our many partners are prepared to ward off any attempt to scapegoat Maine lobstermen for the declining population of the majestic right whale. Regulators and out-of-state agitators are together impugning one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world for right whale deaths. Their claims are baseless and contradicted by their own data. As agencies and NGOs ponder next steps, they might consider the fighting spirit this last year has showcased among fishermen. more, >>click to read<< by Dustin Delano 12:06
Maine lobstermen made more money in 2023 despite catching fewest lobster in 15 years
Maine lobstermen raked in $464.4 million at the docks last year, rebounding from the worst year the fishery had seen in a decade, according to an annual report from the Maine Department of Marine Resources released Friday. The dwindling number of landings isn’t necessarily a surprise, though. State officials and members of the lobstering community say the decrease reflects the impacts of high costs to operate the fishery last year. And the dip in poundage indicates how lobstermen navigated the challenging obstacles.“Fishermen are now very strategic about how they fish. Expenses are through the roof, so you can’t afford to be out if you’re not making money,” said Patrice McCarron, a lobsterman and policy director with the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. more, >>click to read<< 16:26
War On Maine’s Lobstermen?
If you want an emblem of the “man’s man,” larger than life, daring and doing, self-reliant, depend-on-nature, a make-it-happen guy, who rises with the dawn, works hard, asks little, wants little, values independence, and will never fly a desk… that’s the Maine lobsterman or woodsman. Now, they are being scapegoated for wind farms – or some other cause – apparently killing Right whales. Go figure. A more cynical irony is hard to imagine. The wind subsidy crowd, sure they will make money off the taxpayer-funded “green wave” with gold at the end of a government-funded rainbow, has decided – in Washington and “activist cells” around America – to hit Maine’s lobstermen. Wrong. more, >>click to read<< by Robert B. Charles 07:17
Maine Lobstermen Ask Court to Block State Agency from Enforcing a 24-Hour Location Monitoring Mandate Pending the Resolution of Their Lawsuit
A group of Maine lobstermen have asked the United States District Court for the District of Maine to temporarily block state officials from enforcing the controversial requirement that lobstering boats be equipped with a 24-hour location monitoring system. At the beginning of January, five Maine lobstermen filed a lawsuit against the Maine Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) Commissioner Patrick Keliher, alleging violations of their Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. “Before the Court is an unprecedented regulation that, if permitted to stand, would require federally permitted Maine lobster fishermen to install a tracking device on their fishing vessels that would monitor their movements on a minute-by-minute basis (and every six hours when the vessel is moored) ‘regardless of landing state, trip type, location fished or target species,’” the motion reads. more, >>click to read<< 06:44
Maine lobstermen catch ancient 7-foot anchor while hauling traps
A pair of midcoast lobstermen were almost done hauling traps Tuesday when they pulled some ancient history out of the depths: A large anchor covered in a thick layer of rust and sea coral had snagged on one of their traps. “It was kind of exciting,” recalled Logan Aiken, who serves as sternman on Sweet Victory, the lobster boat owned and captained by his brother Peter. This was not the first time the brothers who fish out of Cushing. had caught an old anchor: They pulled up another one a few years ago, but it fell back into the sea before they could wrangle it in. This time around, they avoided that mistake by quickly slipping a line around the iron beast and yanking it into the boat. >>click to read<< 19:18
Dec 15 deadline nears for lobster boat tracking devices in federal waters
Maine lobstermen who fish in federal waters have only a few weeks left until the Dec. 15 deadline to install and activate recently distributed tracking devices on their boats to comply with a regulation of the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). The Particle One devices were sent by Maine’s Department of Marine Resources (DMR) with an accompanying letter of explanation. As required by the ASMFC regulation approved last year, each minute the boat is moving, the tracker will collect both the time and its position. The device will also monitor a boat when it is tied up every six hours until it moves again. Local lobstermen are concerned monitoring their locations infringes on their privacy, while ASMFC believes it will be useful information to have. Some lobstermen have returned the trackers to DMR. >>click to read<< 13:02
Maine Lobstermen to donate Tuesday haul, restaurants will donate proceeds to Lewiston
As the Lewiston community tries to heal since the mass shootings that took place two weeks ago, some Mainers in Portland are uniting Tuesday to raise money the best way they know how. Luke’s Lobster, J’s Oyster, DiMillo’s, and The Porthole are collaborating with lobstermen and dealers to raise funds for the victims and their families. Lobstermen and dealers will donate lobsters, and each restaurant will serve up its own unique lobster special, donating all proceeds. “If we can just do what we do and the lobster dealers can separate out the product and the restaurants can cook and serve it, then by just doing what we do, we can help Lewiston somehow,” Steve Train, a lobsterman from Long Island, ME, said. Video, >>click to read<< 07:53
Fishermen in Maine lobbied to keep wind farms out of crucial fishing grounds. Will it happen in N.S.?
A no-compromise lobbying campaign by Maine lobster harvesters has helped keep wind farms out of a crucial lobster fishing area in the Gulf of Maine. And that has some fishermen in Nova Scotia casting an envious eye south of the border. “I’m pleased to see that happen in Maine. We’d like to see the same sort of diligence taken in Nova Scotia,” said Tommy Amirault, a fisherman from Pubnico and president of the Coldwater Lobster Association. “Maine obviously has concerns. It would be nice to 
see both provincial and federal governments take our concerns into practice,” Amirault said. “We didn’t mince words that we opposed offshore wind anywhere in the Gulf of Maine. It’s one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. And we really didn’t think that this is the place to solve the renewable energy crisis,” said McCarron. In Nova Scotia, the process has just begun. He said it’s no surprise fishermen have concerns about where it happens. >>click to read<< 06:57
NOAA wants to expand ‘ropeless’ fishing gear pilot to include some Maine lobstermen
Last winter as part of a pilot project, some Massachusetts lobstermen were allowed to fish in areas that are seasonally closed to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. But they had to use so-called “on-demand” or “ropeless” fishing gear and work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to share their feedback. Now NOAA wants to expand the program to include lobster and other fixed-gear fishermen throughout New England. Federal officials have proposed issuing permits to more than 200 people, with priority given to those who fish closed areas during the winter. More than 100 people in Maine fish those closed areas. And fishermen aren’t thrilled with the idea of opening access to only some of them, said Patrice McCarron of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association — unless there’s enough on-demand gear to go around to everyone. >click to read< 10:00
Federal judges: Data does not prove Maine lobstering endangers whales
Friday, a panel of judges ruled that data on entanglements in lobster fishing gear does not support the need for the new strict limits on where and how lobstermen could fish. Those regulations, set by the National Marine Fisheries Service, were put in place under the authority of the Endangered Species Act to protect the 340 North Atlantic Right Whales whales left. The Maine Lobstermen’s Association says there is no evidence of Maine lobster gear ever killing a whale. There has been no documented entanglement of a North Atlantic Right Whale since 2004. “Every lobsterman in Maine was facing a decision of whether or not they would be able to continue in the fishery,” MLA policy director Patrice McCarron said. Video, >click to read< 08:55
Maine lobstermen stirring the pots win bigly in federal court
Back in 2021, the National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), issued an opinion in pursuit of preserving the endangered right whale. As these edicts go, this “opinion” has basically force of law when it comes to imposing conservation-based measures, rules and restrictions. The right whale, which has a population hovering at a tad less than 350 individuals, has been a focus of efforts for some years. The lobster industry, reviled by many environmentalists, became an easy target for a revised set of regulations when the Biden administration took over. And they hammered them. >click to read and comment< 18:21
Maine bill to pay lobstermen to test new gear gets initial Senate approval
The bill seeks to set aside $1 million a year for the next two years to help lobstermen comply with federal regulations that could kick-in within six years. Following the Senate vote on Tuesday, bill sponsor Sen. Eloise Vitelli (D-Arrowsic) said federal regulators have “targeted Maine’s lobster industry as a scapegoat.” “The bipartisan fight against these untenable regulations is ongoing,” she said in a statement. “This bill will help make sure that lobstermen are prepared for what might be on the horizon.” Vitelli’s bill, which faces additional House and Senate votes, would provide stipends to reimburse lobstermen for time they spend testing gear. >click to read< 09:05
Canadian and American lobster industry confronts ‘ropeless’ traps after whale entanglements
Injuries to endangered North Atlantic Right Whales ensnared in fishing gear have fueled a prominent campaign by environmental groups to pressure the industry to adopt on-demand equipment that only suspends ropes in the water briefly before traps are pulled from the water. To address the problem, the U.S. and Canadian governments have imposed new regulation on lobster and crab fisheries in recent years, including the use of weak links in rope that break if a whale swims through, color-coded rope for tracing, adding more traps per buoy line, and zone closures during whale migration. Washington and Ottawa are now promoting ropeless fishing as a possible long-term solution. But lobstermen, particularly in Maine where 80% of U.S. lobster is caught, are not enthusiastic. >click to read< 08:49
