Steaming Ahead | July 2025

In early June I had the opportunity as chair of the MLA board to meet with our Congressional delegation and government fisheries officials in Washington, D.C. I was nervous, but I knew it was a chance to tell our story to people who can help our industry overcome burdensome regulations.

Jarod Bray, MLA photo.

Early in the morning on June 4, myself, Kristan Porter, Patrice McCarron and MLA attorney Mary Anne Mason left Portland. A few hours later we were in our nation’s capital ready to advocate for MLA members and our industry.

Given all of the changes happening in Washington these days, it was important for the MLA to ensure our concerns over whale rules looming at the end of 2028 remain top of mind. It also gave us an opportunity to update them on recent actions from the industry.

First, we let them know the MLA findings on the gear removed from the right whale that died in January 2024 that had been entangled in gear with purple marking. MLA board members visited Gloucester in January to inspect the gear and we disagreed with NOAA’s conclusion about the gear’s origin. MLA concluded that there was not enough gear retrieved to say if the gear was fished in state or offshore waters. The board was in full agreement that the entangling gear had not been rigged to comply with the weak link rule. If the whale had benefitted from our current rigging, it’s likely it could have broken free.

We also updated them on the industry’s response to the roughly 100 right whales that showed up around Jeffrey’s Ledge this winter. Lobstermen acted very quickly when they found out the whales were there. They met with the Department of Marine Resources to talk about it and ultimately decided that removing one endline was the best course of action to reduce risk by 50%. They knew it was important to respond and took it upon themselves to remove an endline. Some even called the plane flying over the area to ask where they could set their gear without interfering with whales, or at least reduce the chance. DMR has said that a majority of those whales have been spotted since then, and so far, no evidence of entanglement has been detected.

Our first meeting was with Senator Angus King. He was warm and welcoming and had a lot of enthusiasm to help us with our concerns. He wasted no time showing his support. Soon after, we met with Representative Chellie Pingree, who was calm, willing to listen, and ready to help us in any way possible.

Our next day kicked off with a meeting with Representative Jared Golden. He was well aware of our struggles on multiple fronts and was proactive in offering his help to support Maine lobstermen. We left that meeting pressed for time but fortunately had an escort to our next meeting with Senator Susan Collins. She brought a lot of energy and interest to the meeting. When Kristan Porter and I spoke, she paid attention to every word, and I think her attentiveness was genuine. She remains a huge advocate for our industry and stands ready to help.

Our final meeting was with Eugenio Piñeiro-Soler, the new Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. He is a former commercial fisherman who fished in Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean before coming to NOAA. He listened to our concerns about overregulation and NMFS’s plan to fast track new regulations before Maine’s right whale and fishing effort data are incorporated into the models. How can NMFS create informed regulations that actually protect right whales without the most current data? Lobstermen don’t want to have any part in a species becoming extinct, so we need more data to show if and when right whales are off the Maine coast. With good data we can realistically protect the whales and not just guess that we are doing so.

On our second day in D.C. I woke up early and walked around the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial at sunrise. Washington was very quiet in the early hours, and it was surreal to be in this important city. It would be impossible not to feel patriotic in such a setting.

It made me feel good to be representing the MLA. We are a non-partisan association. We talk to whomever will work with us to make sure Maine lobstermen have a future. Politics has been so heated lately, and many have strong feelings. But every lobsterman can feel thankful that our Congressional delegation is very motivated to make sure Maine’s lobster fishery stays economically viable. Lobstering is everything to not only lobstermen, but also to the numerous towns, businesses, and islands it supports, as well as to the even larger group who enjoy the world’s finest seafood: Maine lobster.