Steaming Ahead | March 2026

In this world of instant gratification, it is frustrating to have your livelihood forever linked to a policy arena where meaningful change may take years — sometimes decades — to materialize. Unfortunately, fisheries management was never designed for quick wins. It is a complicated and cumbersome process complete with procedural hurdles that make flexible, responsive solutions difficult to achieve.

Whether the MLA is engaging with Congress, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), or state regulators, our progress comes from preparation, persistence, and showing up, again and again. That is exactly what the MLA will continue to do in 2026.

In our 72nd year, MLA’s strategy builds on our core strengths: strong leadership, credibility, institutional knowledge, and trusted relationships. Perhaps our greatest asset is our governance. The MLA is led by a board of directors made up of commercial lobstermen. Without hesitation, I can say today’s board is among the strongest boards we have ever had. It is composed of thoughtful, engaged lobstermen representing every region of the coast and sector of the fishery.

The balance leans toward younger lobstermen whose futures depend on a viable industry alongside seasoned fishermen who have weathered decades of change and carry invaluable institutional knowledge.

The 2026 policy landscape once again presents significant challenges, right whales, offshore wind, bait, lobster management, and profitability chief among them. The MLA board, supported by a small but mighty staff, is not backing down. We are tackling these challenges head on.

In 2025, we saw major developments in offshore wind, lobster management, bait fisheries, along with increased economic pressures — and these issues remain front and center in 2026. Most critically, the industry has only a few years left before the next round of whale regulations must be implemented by NMFS by the end of 2028.

NMFS had planned to begin developing new whale rules in the fall of 2025. The MLA successfully advocated for delaying that process until fall 2026 to ensure Maine’s updated right whale survey data and fishing effort data are fully incorporated into rulemaking decisions.

We are now four years into the six-year pause granted by Congress, secured when we were on the brink of a 90% risk reduction plan that would have decimated our fishery. That plan included new federal closures in Zone A and Zone G, expansion of the LMA 1 closure, significantly broader weak rope requirements, and a 400-trap limit for Maine lobstermen.

Since then, the MLA has not taken its foot off the gas pedal. Our legal team continues to advance multiple strategies aimed at ensuring the survival of Maine’s lobster industry as we navigate the intersection of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This remains a top priority and demands substantial time, expertise, and resources.

Much has changed in four years — and much of it is positive.

The North Atlantic right whale population has increased for four consecutive years. Calving numbers have improved, and mortalities are down. If births continue to outpace mortalities, the population trajectory will remain positive. This matters because the required risk reduction target is calculated using the most recent five-year average of serious injuries and mortalities. The mortality spikes from 2017 and 2019 will soon fall out of that calculation, which should result in a lower risk reduction benchmark.

These positive trends have led NMFS to lower its projected extinction risk for right whales. The agency’s revised analysis concludes that management actions in both the United States and Canada are reducing deaths and improving the outlook for right whales.

Another major advance is from the right whale survey work conducted by the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) over the past three years. The data largely confirms what lobstermen have long understood. Right whales are present in Maine waters but are more common offshore than in state waters. The highest detections occur from late fall into winter, with a secondary peak in May, and minimal presence during summer months. Notably, no whales have been detected in Zone A, which was previously proposed for a seasonal closure in June and July.

The data also highlight areas requiring attention. Maine’s data confirm consistent whale presence within the LMA 1 closure during its designated closure months.

The largest right whale aggregation occurred in January 2025 around Jeffreys Basin, a known feeding ground. Thanks to proactive voluntary measures taken by lobstermen fishing in that area, the majority of those whales have since been resighted, all gear free. Importantly, whales were not detected in that area during the same period in 2024 or 2026. This demonstrates that large static closures are not the only way to protect right whales.

The challenges facing Maine’s lobster fishery are not disappearing. But neither is the MLA. Through steady engagement, strong relationships, strategic litigation when necessary, and consistent communication with our members, we will continue fighting to protect Maine lobstermen and our fishing heritage.

The MLA has your back!

As always, stay safe on the water.