With 2024 behind us, it’s important to reflect on the resilience and the challenges that have come to define the Maine lobster fishery, which is so deeply embedded in the state’s economy and identity. Like so many recent years, 2024 was a year filled with ups and downs, yet it was, in many ways, historic. The common thread through all of it was Maine Lobstermen's Association's (MLA) steady presence — listening to lobstermen, attending meetings, networking, sharing information, writing letters — as we pursued our mission with passion and determination to sustain a healthy lobster fishery.
Standing ready for the next year. MLA photo.
The year got off to a difficult start when the Maine coast experienced unprecedented damage from two devasting storms in January. Later that month, we received the shocking news of the first right whale death in Maine lobster gear.
The federal government moved forward in 2024 with several controversial programs. It began tracking federal lobster boats and requiring them to submit electronic Vessel Trip Reports (e-VTR). It invested over $18 million to develop ropeless fishing technology, and in October, issued four commercial offshore wind leases in the Gulf of Maine. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) added to lobstermen’s frustrations by keeping alive its plan to increase the minimum lobster measure, which was ultimately delayed to 2025.
The MLA faced its own challenges when its Chief Operating Officer resigned, leading to a year of restructuring.
2024 also offered glimmers of hope. Our coastal communities came together to rebuild Maine’s working waterfronts and fishing infrastructure. The Governor, Legislature and the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) rallied and provided $60 million to support the rebuilding and may have set a new government speed record by funding 68 projects by August. Senator Collins secured an additional $15 million to support ongoing investments in working waterfronts.
In May, the D.C. federal court finally took the wind out of the sails of a coalition of national environmental groups by dismissing its 2018 lawsuit that nearly dismantled Maine’s lobster industry by forcing more closures, weak rope and trap cuts scheduled for 2024. Congress paused implementation of these measures in December, 2022, and coupled with MLA’s historic court victory against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the court’s previous rulings in the case were nullified.
After several years of nothing but bad news on the fate of right whales, 2024 brought some good news. We now have three years of data showing an increase in the number of right whales. As of October 2024, the population totaled 372 whales and NMFS upgraded the previous population low from 332 whales in 2020 to 358 whales. The turnaround is a result of a variety of factors, but most significantly, births now exceed deaths. Over the last five years, 77 right whale calves have been born, and right whale deaths have declined from peaks in 2017 and 2019. And NMFS now counts calves when they are born rather than waiting for them to be resighted. Also on the whale front, the MLA’s defamation lawsuit against the Monterey Bay Aquarium is still working its way through the court, and MLA hopes for a positive outcome in 2025.
One of the things that really hurt the lobster industry in the last round of whale rules was a lack of data on right whales in the areas where Maine lobstermen fish. DMR largely erased that problem in 2024. In less than a year, DMR used $17 million from Congress to build an entire right whale monitoring program from the ground up. It is an incredible accomplishment.
The state now monitors the presence and absence of right whales through acoustic listening devices, vessel-based, and aerial surveys. The acoustic devices are deployed in a grid at 26 sites across all Maine’s waters out to Area 3. In 2024, the vessel-based survey covered nearly 1,000 nm within 25 miles from shore and the aerial survey covered nearly 4,400 nm from the beach out to Area 3. DMR now has a modeler and plankton scientist amongst its many new science staff and is working to develop its own right whale risk model.
While herring and groundfishermen grapple with the massive quota cuts announced in 2024, and the shrimp fishery remains closed, lobster remains a healthy, sustainable resource that continues to support a profitable fishery. In 2023, lobster landings were down but the value increased by $75 million making it a solid season for most lobstermen. 2024 is shaping up to be similar. Once all of the lobsters are counted and the dollars added up, DMR expects to see a reduction in landings but an increase in the value of the fishery because of this year’s strong boat price.
The economic health of the lobster fishery is among the many challenges the lobster industry will face as we move into 2025. The interplay between predicted reductions in landings and the need to maintain strong markets to support a healthy boat price has fueled the controversy over the gauge change within the industry.
Despite efforts of the MLA and many others to oppose the gauge increase, and after being delayed three times, the minimum size will increase to 3 5/16” in July. The DMR will conduct rulemaking and hold two public hearings in January to comply with ASMFC. It will be frustrating for everyone to attend public hearings knowing that you cannot change the outcome. Nevertheless, the MLA will continue to tell regulators that lobstermen are seeing lots of small lobsters in their traps and believe the resource is healthy and are worried about lost revenue and market impacts of the measure increase. The MLA will not waver in its opposition and will redouble its effort to prevent the second measure increase scheduled for 2027.
The MLA will also persist in calling for ASMFC to remove the 24/7 provision from the electronic tracker requirement. The MLA supports improving data on the lobster fishery, but a data collection program should not track lobstermen on their personal time. Five Maine lobstermen challenged Maine’s implementation of the tracker requirement in Bangor District Court, but the judge dismissed the lawsuit in November, ruling in favor of the state. The lobstermen are appealing this decision. The MLA believes this can be solved through the management process and is optimistic that we will be successful in removing the 24/7 requirement in 2025.
Offshore wind is one of those issues that every fisherman seems to agree on — it does not belong in Gulf of Maine! The lobster industry earned a big win in March when the federal government announced that commercial offshore wind development would not be allowed in Lobster Management Area 1. The removal of LMA 1 from the offshore wind leasing process was a result of significant advocacy from MLA and many other fishing industry groups, and strong support from Governor Mills and the Maine Congressional delegation.
Despite this win, there are now two leases that could impact Maine fishermen. The first is the state of Maine’s research array which is moving forward in partnership with Diamond Offshore Wind. The state leased 15,000 acres located 28 miles offshore in Zones D and E where it plans to build 12 floating turbines using the University of Maine’s platform technology. This lease proposal slipped through the process before LMA 1 was taken off the table.
The second is a commercial development that could be developed by Invenergy NE Offshore Wind which paid $4.9 million for a 98,000 acre lease located 46 miles off midcoast Maine. Most political observers agree that the Trump Administration is unlikely to get behind offshore wind which could stall the Gulf of Maine projects. Rest assured that the MLA will continue its efforts to keep offshore wind development out of the Gulf of Maine.
The MLA’s strength lies in its advocacy for Maine lobstermen and I am confident that the MLA is well-prepared to tackle the next phases of right whale, offshore wind and lobster management issues. Our efforts will be bolstered by MLA’s historic court win in 2022 and the Supreme Court decision in 2024 to do away with “Chevron deference.” No longer will the courts simply defer to the federal agency when interpretation of a law is unclear. The MLA will continue to work closely with our Congressional delegation to ensure that federal agencies do not over-reaching its authority.
In 2025, MLA will work to expand our programs beyond the policy arena building on programs started in 2024. The MLA was partner in a study published by the University of Maine identifying socio-economic indicators of resilience in the lobster industry, and is now collaborating with Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries to conduct an economic survey of the lobster industry to provide the data we need to determine the impact of future management measures. We will again work with Fishing Partnership Support Services to bring free safety trainings to harbors in Maine. The MLA also plans to spend more time in coastal communities, meeting members on the docks to hear their thoughts on what is most important for the lobster fishery.
It’s impossible to predict what the new year will bring. Whatever happens, know that the MLA will continue to listen carefully to our members to use our collective strength to preserve our lobster fishery so it will sustain our coastal communities and heritage over the next 70 years.
I am excited to be back as MLA’s Executive Director and I am looking to the new year with a strong sense of optimism.
Happy New Year!
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