The Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team (TRT) met in April 2019 and recommended new regulatory measures for the lobster fishery in the Northeast. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) set a target to reduce … Continue reading
During July Governor Janet Mills and the Maine Congressional delegation expressed strong opposition to the mandate from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) requiring additional right whale protections. In April, states with commercial lobster fisheries … Continue reading
“You can yell at me all you want. I’ve got thick skin, but it’s really the feds who are pushing this. Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) Commissioner Patrick Keliher said this time and again … Continue reading
There is a lot of buzz right now around the docks, in coffee shops and on Facebook about what the new whale measures will mean for Maine. Most lobstermen have understood since last year that … Continue reading
“I felt like I was leaving the funeral of a good friend,” said Stonington lobsterman and MLA board member John Williams. He was referring to the stress he felt at the close of the week-long … Continue reading
In late October, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) sent a letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) strongly urging it to use its discretion to set the 2019 Atlantic herring quota above the level … Continue reading
The close of the year is a mixed time. On the one hand we look forward cheerfully to being with family and friends for Thanksgiving and Christmas. On the other, the days are shorter, the … Continue reading
The Department of Marine Resources (DMR) study of vertical lines used in the lobster fishery kicks off in full this month. The three-year project, funded by a $714,000 grant from the National Marine Fisheries Service … Continue reading
As it has during its 64-year history, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) is once again seeking a place at the table for Maine’s lobstermen in the face of potentially crippling new regulations from federal fisheries … Continue reading
The Portland Press Herald ran an article in late April about a significant influx of warm water entering the Gulf of Maine through the Northeast Channel. Whether you believe in climate change or think it’s … Continue reading
