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L A N D I N G S
NEWS & VIEWS FROM MAINE'S LOBSTERING COMMUNITY
In January 2013, the MLCA launched Landings, a monthly newspaper which balances
its content amongst science, history, resource sustainability, economic development,
and human interest stories. Through Landings, MLCA educates the public and lobster
industry stakeholders about the unique characteristics of Maine’s lobstering traditions,
its history and heritage, ongoing research to maintain the sustainability of the resource,
and its non-harmful and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices.
Distributing more than 6,500 copies of this 24+page publication free via mail each
month to all of Maine’s commercial lobstermen, state government agency staff, elected
state officials, Congressional delegation, subscribers, marine businesses; and to the
public at various locations around the state including ferry terminals, marine supply
stores and annual educational forums.
Steaming Ahead | May 2026
Maine’s lobster fishery continues to face unprecedented challenges. The cost of bait, fuel, gear, and other supplies remains at all-time highs and is likely to continue to climb. Landings have declined, and the boat price has not kept pace with inflation. At the same time, discussions on the next round of right whale regulations are expected to kick off at the end of this year. That is a lot for any industry to absorb. Fortunately, U.S. fishermen are receiving real support in
Apr 304 min read
MLA Jr Harvester Ava Lindahl
Ava Lindahl, 15, of Owls Head likes to lobster. She also likes to go scalloping with her father, Tom Lindahl, as well as pogey fishing in the summer. In fact, if you asked, Ava would say she just loves to fish. Ava at the Wheel “I started lobstering when I was six or seven. When I was eight I had ten traps and went with my sister. This year I plan to set 150,” Ava said proudly. “My father, my grandfather, and my great-grandfather are fishermen. I like to make my dad proud. I
Apr 302 min read
Maine Lobstermen's Association Update | May 2026
MLA Directors Meeting Summary Chairman Sonny Beal called the April meeting to order. MLA staff reported that memberships are on track for this time of year. Working with board members to retain and recruit members has been effective. We will soon launch new member support tools, including a portal which will enable members to log into individual MLA accounts. April is Jr. Harvester renewal month. All student license holders receive an MLA membership card, merchandise and a qu
Apr 3011 min read
From Maine to Ireland: Pieces of Gear Tell A 30-Year Story
More than 30 years ago, Irish lobstermen were worried about declining stocks. A group traveled to Maine to learn from the state’s lobster industry and attend the International Lobster Congress which was held in 1993 in Portland. This winter, a few small pieces of Maine fishing gear washed ashore in Ireland and brought that history back to life. Thérèse Maddock of Kilmore Quay, County Wexford, Ireland, recently contacted the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) after finding a
Apr 302 min read
New Research Looks at Changes in Relation Between Cunner and Lobster
By Carli Stewart, National Fisherman, reprinted with permission Researchers at the University of Maine (UMaine) are taking a closer look at whether cunner fish may be preying on lobsters in a new way, particularly targeting egg-bearing females. The work is being led by fisheries scientist Michelle Staudinger, backed by a National Geographic Society grant aimed at studying keystone species and emerging ecosystems shifts. Cunner are generally less than a foot in length. Their m
Apr 302 min read
Investment in Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative Brings Returns to Lobstermen
The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) was created by the Maine Legislature in 2013. The Legislature’s purpose in establishing the Collaborative was clear: improve the price paid to lobstermen by marketing Maine lobster in order to increase demand. The MLMC’s activities are paid for through a surcharge on licenses held by lobstermen, lobster processors and dealers. The MLMC's study reaffirmed the close price relationship between the Canadian and U.S. lobster fisheri
Apr 304 min read
In the News | April 2026
New lobster enforcement unit in N.B. New Brunswick has joined Nova Scotia in creating a provincial lobster enforcement unit, meant to recoup money both governments say is being lost to illegal lobster landings. The Nova Scotia government has said up to 30% of annual lobster landings in the Atlantic region go unreported. For Nova Scotia that could mean a loss of about $400 million in tax revenue. In New Brunswick, the estimate is more like $5 to $7 million lost to illegal lobs
Apr 303 min read
The Seasonal Joy of Maine Alewives
Maine lobstermen are welcoming the return of alewives to the coast this month. A much-anticipated rite of spring, the sturdy fish are once again coming in from the Gulf of Maine to their original rivers and streams to reach freshwater lakes to spawn. Image Info Here Maine is leading the way in alewife conservation in New England. In the past, dams, pollution and other barriers on rivers large and small kept the fish from passing upstream, leading to their disappearance along
Apr 301 min read
MLA Jr Harvesters: Leah and Luke Ames
Leah Ames, 10, and Luke Ames, 8, know how to get about on the water. Or at least on the waters around their home island, Matinicus. The two siblings each run ten traps which they fish under the watchful eye of their father, lobsterman David Ames Jr. It’s part of the family tradition, according to Leah. “My dad has been a fisherman since he was a kid and his dad and grandfather too,” she said. She started going lobstering with her father some years ago, as did her brother. The
Apr 31 min read
Lobster Surveys Show Healthy Stock Despite Decrease in Landings
Kathleen Reardon led the annual review of Department of Marine Resources (DMR) 2025 lobster survey findings during the DMR Science Updates session at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. The review was preceded by the department’s announcement that preliminary 2025 lobster landings came in at 78.8 million pounds, a decline of approximately eight million pounds from 2024. A multitude of environmental and economic factors influenced lobster landings in 2025. MLMC photo. “Lo
Apr 34 min read
Lobster Again Maine's Highest Value Fishery
DMR press release In March the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) released preliminary data that Maine’s commercial harvesters earned $619,053,489 in 2025, which was the 14th consecutive year commercial fishery earnings surpassed $500 million. Maine lobstermen landed 78.8 million pounds in 2025 and again topped all other fisheries with an overall landed value of $461,384,405. The boat price was $5.85 per pound, the third highest boat price on record. However, while the boat
Apr 32 min read
MLMC Reviews Past Year, Future Plans at Forum
Marianne LaCroix, executive director of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC), spoke about the Collaborative’s 2025 accomplishments and plans for 2026 at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum in March. The MLMC was created by the Maine Legislature in 2013 and must be reauthorized every five years. The Marine Resources Committee voted in February to reauthorize but only for two years rather than five. The MLMC’s eleven-person board is composed of four harvesters, three proces
Apr 33 min read
Bill to Expand Menhaden Fishery Troubles Maine Fishermen
By Stephen Rappaport, Working Waterfront Reprinted with permission Like the schools of menhaden that roil the summer waters off the coast of Maine, a proposed law that would open that lucrative fishery to more participants has been raising turmoil among fishermen, legislators, and state regulators. Menhaden has become a significant part of the bait supply for Maine’s lobster industry, especially over the past several years when herring have been in short supply. The debate o
Apr 34 min read
Women in Fisheries: Amalia Harrington
University of Maine marine biologist Amalia Harrington knows the coast. In fact, she knows three coasts: the freshwater shores of Michigan, where she grew up, the California coast, where she attended college, and the coast of Maine, where she and her husband, a Maine native, now live. Harrington, left, with University of Maine students presenting their lobster research. UME photo. Harrington came to Maine in 2015 to pursue her Ph.D. at the University of Maine School of Marin
Apr 33 min read
NOAA, NEFMC Leadership Meet with Fishermen at Forum
The use of ropeless gear in the lobster fishery in order to protect North Atlantic right whales was front and center at the Fishermen’s Forum session with federal officials. On the panel were Dan Solerno, NEFMC chairman; Jon Hare, NEFSC; Michael Petony, GARFO; Eugenio P. Soler, NMFS head; and Kate O’Keefe, NEFMC executive director. Lobstermen's safety concerns about the use of ropeless lobster gear and worries about future right whale protection measures dominated the Forum s
Apr 33 min read
Steaming Ahead | April 2026
What a great Fisherman’s Forum! It is certainly one of my favorite times of year. It was so great to see all the friends I’ve made there over time, the people you only see at the Forum. My wife Abbi and I have been going for at least 17 years and my two sons, Damon and Kaden, for the last 12 years or so. Sonny Beal, MLA board chair. Photo by G. Rybus. This year’s Forum, however, was a little more special in several ways. We had Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, th
Apr 34 min read
Maine Lobstermen's Association Update | April 2026
MLA Annual Meeting Summary The Maine Lobstermen’s Association held its 72nd Annual Meeting at the Samoset Resort in Rockport on March 6. The meeting kicked off with MLA board vice-president Sonny Beal thanking the MLA board members and staff for all their hard work over the past year. He also recognized retired board member Jason Joyce of Swans Island, who stepped down last fall. It was a full room for the 72nd MLA annual meeting in March. MLA photos. MLA members then approve
Apr 310 min read
Forum Speakers Focus on Fishermen's Safety
Improving the health and safety of fishermen was a theme that ran throughout the three-day Maine Fishermen’s Forum in early March. Whether physical health or safety at sea, keeping Maine’s fishermen well is a concern of many organizations and individuals. Presenters emphasized the importance of wearing a PFD at all times. Photo courtesy of Atlantic Fisherman. Mark Murry, Department of Marine Resources Marine Patrol officer, kicked off the Thursday session on Single-handed Fis
Apr 34 min read
Your Questions, Answered: Data from the Gulf of Maine
How do we know what is happening in the depths of the Gulf of Maine? One way is through a sophisticated network of deep-water buoys managed by the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS). Seven deep water oceanographic buoys in the Gulf that provide near real-time data on ocean conditions. Established in 2009, NERACOOS is a non-profit organization that serves as part of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Its primary miss
Apr 32 min read
In the News | April 2026
RIGHT WHALES CONGREGATE OFF MASSACHUSETTS Massachusetts continues to see high North Atlantic right whale activity, with the New England Aquarium documenting over a quarter of the population offshore of Nantucket in late February and throughout March. Th e Center for Coastal Studies documented more than100 whales in Cape Cod Bay this year, including a record 33 sightings in January. A notable whale seen is “the Irish whale,” who made headlines in 2025. Th is right whale, who h
Apr 33 min read
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