Where are the North Atlantic right whales? The question is an urgent one for the future of both U.S. fisheries and the shipping industry because federal laws do not allow for the loss of a … Continue reading
Guest Column: Recap of the 2023 Summer
First published in Landings, September 2023 We’ve had a summer with more than our fair share of rain and fog, but despite the weather it started on a good note, with the Washington, D.C. Appellate … Continue reading
MLA Earns Historic Win for Maine’s Lobster Industry: How Did We Get Here?
Click here for details on this historic win! Spring 2017 – National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) publishes new model in May which determines that the right whale population has been in decline since 2010; declares … Continue reading
In the News- June 2023
P.E.I. North Shore Lobster Fishery Closed for Right Whales Lobstermen along Prince Edward Island’s northern shore had to remove gear from the water just three weeks into a two-month season due to a right whale … Continue reading
Steaming Ahead
The lobster industry is grappling with a new era more perilous than anything it has ever experienced. The challenges facing our industry are extremely complex and the stakes are equally high. Whales and offshore wind … Continue reading
MLA Joins Industry Allies to Sue Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Maine Lobstermen’s Association and industry allies filed a defamation lawsuit in the Maine U.S. District Court in March against the Monterey Bay Aquarium, alleging the aquarium’s statements that Maine lobster gear threatens endangered right … Continue reading
Marine Stewardship Council Actions “Challenging”
First published in March 2023 The origin of the acronym “snafu” comes from the military, a dry synopsis of the typical snarl of conflicting regulations and orders experienced by the troops. The same can be … Continue reading
Guest Column: Climate is the real culprit in the whale saga
In following the rollercoaster of how new regulations designed to protect the North Atlantic right whale will impact Maine’s lobster fishery and the communities the industry supports, two recent announcements stuck out to me. One … Continue reading
U.S.-Canada Lobster Town Meeting returns to Portland
The U.S.–Canada Lobster Town Meeting returned to Portland, Maine on February 3 and 4 after a two year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic. Hosted by the University of Maine’s Lobster Institute, the sold-out town … Continue reading
Steaming Ahead – February 2023
“The Final Rule amending the regulations implementing the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan shall be deemed sufficient to ensure that the continued Federal and State authorizations of the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries … Continue reading