In the News | August 2026

Building a better trap

Scott Dauphinee, founder of the Lobster Trap Company in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, has come up with a new lobster trap, one made of a polyethylene composite modular trap, that he believes is better than wire. The traps, which have been tested by Nova Scotian lob

stermen, are designed to last 10 years. In addition, the traps are modular, which means if a part is damaged it can be replaced easily. The company is in the process of manufacturing the traps out of recycled plastic.

Bill to extend right whale rule pause moves out of committee

In mid-July the House Natural Resources Committee approved H.R. 9436, the “Northeast Lobstermen Protection Act,” in a 22-13 bipartisan vote. The bill, led by Rep. Jared Golden and Rep. Mike Lawler, would extend a pause on any new right whale protection regulations until 2035. The extension would give regulators more time to gather data and use “the best available science” for any future. The committee’s approval sends the measure to the House floor.

Harpswell lobster dock changes hands

In July Shawn Baumgartner, owner of Glen’s Lobsters, bought the Angie’s Lobster wharf in Mackerel Cove, Harpswell. The Arizona-based fast-food restaurant bought the wharf in 2022 after the death of long-time owner Doug Pilon. At the time the company announced a plan to buy lobsters directly from Harpswell fishermen, process the meat at its plant in Richmond, and sell lobster rolls to its drive-thru customers in the Southwest. Baumgartner plans to repair the dock and buildings and maintain water access for commercial fishermen.

New England states plan to sue feds over cancelled offshore leases

On July 16, attorneys general from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont filed notices of intent to sue

the Department of the Interior (DOI) over cancelled offshore wind energy leases. The attorneys general argue that the DOI claimed that new national security concerns justified the cancellations and that the DOI failed to follow procedures required under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act before canceling the leases.

New U.S. Tariffs and Seafood Imports

Tariffs are back in the news. On July 20, President Trump imposed new 50% tariffs on Canada, but seafood once again is safe. SeafoodNews.com reported “Canadian seafood has once again escaped the latest round of US tariffs — three Section 338 proclamations signed July 20 imposing 50% duties on nearly $20 billion in Canadian goods targeted dairy, alcohol, electronics, and other sectors, with no fish or seafood on any of the lists. The omission matters: Canada is the US’s largest foreign seafood supplier at $4.26 billion in 2025 imports, with Canadian snow crab accounting for roughly 90% of North American supply and lobster exports valued at $2.9 billion in 2024.”

On July 24, President Trump imposed another round of tariffs on 60 countries, ranging from 10% to 12.5%, based on forced labor practices. While seafood was not exempted from these tariffs, there are still no tariffs on seafood from Canada or Mexico, which remain protected under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) as a USMCA-compliant good. Seafoodnews reports the following tariff rates for major seafood-supplying countries: 10% tariff on Ecuador, India, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Canada*, Mexico* (*USMCA products are exempt); 12.5%: China, Norway, Vietnam, Chile, Thailand, Peru, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, Russia.