First published in Landings, August 2023 Everyone in the lobster industry should remember the date of June 16 with pride. It is the day that the lobster industry earned a historic victory when a panel … Continue reading
Whale Rule Enforcement: Communication and Common Sense
Despite efforts by Maine’s delegation and Governor Mills to get the federal whale rule implementation date pushed to July 1, NOAA did not budge on that request, and the new federal regulations went into effect … Continue reading
Maine Lobstermen’s Association Raises Concern Over Fishery’s Future And Need For Better Data In Whale Rules
“The MLA will not let over-reaching regulations based on inaccurate data erase the Maine lobster fishery and our fishing heritage,” said Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA), in response to two … Continue reading
NMFS calls for deeper cuts over ten years to protect whales
Right whales will continue to decline unless other actions taken Two major announcements related to North Atlantic right whales and the U.S. lobster fishery were made by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as 2020 … Continue reading
Lobster Zone Councils’ Sub-Committees Recommend Conservation Equivalencies, Part of Whale Plan
Maine and other New England states with a lobster fishery are developing plans to reduce the risk of entanglement by North Atlantic right whales in lobster gear by 60% as required by the National Marine … Continue reading
The New Whale Rules . . . How Did We Get Here?
Maine lobstermen are bracing for the release of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) draft whale rules and Biological Opinion which have been three years in the making. What changes will the rules require of … Continue reading
Steaming Ahead – June 2020
In this line of work one thing I can always count on is a phone call from a lobsterman telling me just how things are going to be. The subject may be the lobster price, … Continue reading
At the Forum: NOAA Officials Answer Tough Questions About Whale Plan
A panel of five officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spoke to and answered questions from a largely polite audience of lobstermen and others at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum in March. Chris Oliver, … Continue reading
MLA Continues Legal Battle on Possible Whale Rules
How would you feel if you knew that a long line of adversaries was ready to shut down your livelihood and you had no one in your corner to help you wage battle against them? … Continue reading
Long Island Lobsterman Grows Up With Whale Rules
Cameron Murphy, 26, started lobstering on Long Island when he was 13. He had five traps and was sponsored by local lobsterman Tommy Marr. His father is a merchant seaman and food processing engineer and … Continue reading