Democratic Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) is urging the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to delay a proposed increase to the minimum allowable catch size for Maine lobstermen over concerns that the move could have dire economic consequences.
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ASMFC is a commission made up of 15 U.S. states that acts as a coordinating regulatory agency for the conservation and management of marine fisheries resources, including American lobster.
The proposed gauge increase, known as Addendum 27, is scheduled to take effect in January 2025, and would increase the minimum allowable catch size in Lobster Management Area 1 — federal waters in the Gulf of Maine critical to the state’s lobstering industry — from 3 1/4 inches to 3 5/16 inches.
The increase to the minimum size requirement is a measure aimed at proactively managing an observed decrease in lobster stock, and was automatically triggered by a 35 percent lobster stock decline in Lobster Management Area 1, according to ASMFC.
In a Tuesday letter to Robert Beal, executive director of ASMFC, Rep. Golden wrote that he is “deeply concerned about the implications a gauge increase next year – absent robust economic and scientific analyses – will have on the viability of Maine’s lobster industry and the communities it supports.”
According to Golden, fishermen and dealers have concerns that the data used by ASMFC to arrive at the 35 percent trigger index was “overly precautionary” and may not accurately reflect the current status of the lobster stock.
“I’m further concerned that the ASMFC and the Maine Department of Marine Resources have not relied more on the observations and experience of Maine lobstermen, who possess invaluable local knowledge and expertise,” Golden wrote. “Additionally, independently and through trade associations, lobstermen have shared concerns about the limitations of the current data used.”
In addition to concerns over the accuracy of the ASMFC’s data, Golden claimed that implementation of the gauge increase could put Maine lobstermen at a disadvantage to Canadian fishermen who may not have to comply with the same regulation.
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“Lobster dealers have told me that this gauge change hurts U.S. lobstermen but is beneficial to Canadian lobstermen, and the Mitchell Provision is only further detrimental to US lobstermen and the economy,” Golden wrote.
The Mitchell Provision of the 2007 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act prohibits foreign imports of whole live lobster smaller than what the U.S. industry is allowed to harvest under current regulations.
“We know dealers must have a steady lobster supply to be financially viable. Proceeding as proposed could create a dire economic situation for harvesters and processors,” Golden wrote, urging the commission to conduct a study on the potential negative effects of a U.S.-only gauge increase.
“As we have seen time and again, fishermen in Maine, particularly lobstermen, have shown to be proactive and excellent stewards of the environment and recognize the importance of maintaining the health of their fishery,” he wrote. “With a pause, ASMFC would have the opportunity to consider more comprehensive data from 2023 further, work with fishermen, dealers, and trade associations to address the concerns raised while ensuring the data collected accurately represents the current lobster stock and fully understand the market impacts of a U.S.-only gauge increase.”
Dustin Delano, a lobsterman and chief operating officer of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, said in Golden’s Tuesday press release that implementation of Addendum 26 “will jeopardize the livelihoods of fishermen and dealers up and down the coast.”
“The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association appreciates Congressman Golden for speaking out against this misguided rule, and for his continued support of Maine’s fishing industry,” Delano said.
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Director of the Maine Lobstering Union Virginia Olsen thanked Golden for his “unwavering support of Maine’s Lobster fishermen and our industry,” and voiced similar concerns about implementation of the rule without more time to examine its potential impacts.
“The inequalities between the Maine and Canadian fisheries need to be resolved prior to Addendum 27. There are still crucial conversations that need to be had,” Olsen said. “The datasets used within the Fisheries Management Plan, and how climate change is impacting the fishery, as well as our data collection methods all need to be looked at thoroughly before implementing this crippling increase to the minimum possession size of the American Lobster.”
