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 Washington, D.C. From the cancellation and buyout of commercial wind leases to the reopening of commercial fishing in the Seamounts National Marine Monument and creation of the Office of Seafood at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), there is genuine recognition that American fishermen are food producers who deserve the full support of our government.

For too long, federal policymakers have treated fishermen as something separate from the nation’s food system. Instead of recognizing the lobster fishery as our nation’s most valuable fishery and the economic engine of Maine’s coastal economy, the federal government has too often punished us with burdensome regulations that threaten the survival of our industry.

As a fleet of small owner-operated vessels, the change in federal recognition matters. Maine lobstermen face many of the same pressures as farmers. We deal with weather, changing resource conditions, rising input costs, volatile markets, and federal regulations that can reshape our businesses overnight. Yet fishermen have not had the same access to many of the tools available to farmers. Recognizing fishermen as food producers within USDA programs is an important step toward fairness and economic stability.

Successful advocacy in Washington is nothing new for the MLA, which has long had a productive relationship with Maine’s Congressional delegation. By remaining non-partisan, MLA’s advocacy has led to the resolution of many seemingly intractable issues through Congressional action regardless of which party is in power in Washington. That history matters.

In 1975, MLA President Eddie Blackmore worked with Senator Edmund Muskie to secure the Sternman Act, which allows lobstermen to treat sternmen as independent contractors as long as they receive a share of the catch rather than direct monetary compensation. It was a critical recognition of the way this fishery operates and allowed Maine's fleet of small boats to remain economically viable.

In 1989, Blackmore and MLA Vice President David Cousens worked with Senator George Mitchell to amend the Magnuson-Stevens Act through the Mitchell provision, which prevented undersized lobsters from being imported to the U.S. This ensured that Maine’s conservation practice was protected and undersized imported lobster would not undermine the value of Maine lobster.

In 1996, then-MLA President David Cousens and Executive Director Pat White worked with Senators Olympia Snowe and Bill Cohen to set a strict limit on the landing of dragger-caught lobsters to 100 per day or 500 per trip. Although the goal was to prohibit entirely the landing of lobsters caught with this gear, the limit was a major victory that has protected lobster stocks and New England’s trap fishery. This reinforced a conservation ethic that has defined Maine lobster for generations.

In 2006, Pat White and I worked with Senators Snowe and Susan Collins to secure $2 million to buy back used float rope as the lobster industry transitioned to sinking groundlines. The funding helped lobstermen make a massive change to their gear in order to protect right whales.

In 2022, I worked with DMR and the Maine delegation, led by Senator Collins, to stave off the implementation of a 90% risk reduction requirement that would have decimated the fishery. Senator Collins and the Maine delegation pulled off a bipartisan miracle by getting the votes to deem the lobster industry in compliance with the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act for six years, until December 31, 2028. Our fishery would not be recognizable today without this intervention.

These victories changed the course of the lobster fishery for the better and did not happen by accident. They happened because lobstermen told their stories, the MLA brought forward the facts, and Maine’s delegation fought for solutions that made sense for our fishery.

Today, the Maine delegation continues to have the lobster industry’s back.

In March, Senators Collins and Angus King co-sponsored of the American Seafood Competitiveness Act of 2026 (S. 4236) to extend USDA benefits to fishermen. The bill redefines “farmer” and “farming” to include “commercial fishing” and “fish processing” and makes other changes so the commercial fishing industry can access loans, grants, and credit programs. It is no coincidence that this bill was introduced just as the new Office of Seafood at USDA was established.

Senators Collins and King also attended this year’s Maine Fishermen’s Forum, as they do each year, where they heard loudly and clearly lobstermen’s concerns about ropeless fishing. They quickly sent a letter to the head of NMFS, who spoke at MLA’s annual meeting, urging the agency to listen to lobstermen and work with the industry to identify affordable, common-sense, flexible alternatives that will protect the whales and maintain our successful fishery.

As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins took things a step further, recently pressing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the industry’s concerns over ropeless fishing. She made clear that the federal government must listen to Maine lobstermen and that mandating ropeless fishing would threaten the future of Maine’s diverse fleet of owner-operators.

Senator Collins is a tireless advocate for Maine lobstermen, preventing NMFS from regulating the lobster industry out of business and fighting for common-sense solutions. Senator King continues to stand strong with the industry, making sure federal agencies hear directly from them.

Representatives Pingree and Golden have also consistently fought to preserve Maine’s lobster fishery because they understand it is too important to be regulated out of existence by policies that do not reflect the facts on the water.

The MLA will continue to work closely with our Congressional delegation and federal agencies as the next round of whale regulations takes shape. We know what is at stake. We also know that lobstermen have already made major changes, investing time and money in right whale protections, while maintaining one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world.

The challenges are real. But our history shows that when the lobster industry stands together and we have a strong, effective Congressional delegation working on our behalf, we can solve hard problems. That is the work ahead, and MLA will continue to fight for you every step of the way.

As always, stay safe on the water.