{"id":22609,"date":"2025-06-10T09:51:06","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T09:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.selinawamucii.com\/news\/?p=22609"},"modified":"2025-06-10T09:59:46","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T09:59:46","slug":"the-maine-lobster-industry-expects-trump-to-ease-lobstering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.selinawamucii.com\/news\/2025\/06\/10\/the-maine-lobster-industry-expects-trump-to-ease-lobstering\/","title":{"rendered":"The Maine lobster sector expects Trump to ease lobstering"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lobster fishermen and sector representatives in Maine hope President Donald Trump will ease fishing by reopening an important fishery. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, President Barack Obama made the lobster-rich Cape Cod coast adrift 4,900 square miles a marine park.  Trump reverted the decision in 2020, only for President Joe Biden to close it again in 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Maine Lobster Association (MLA) recently sent Trump a letter to engineer \u201cpolicy changes,\u201dreported the Portland Press Herald<\/u><\/a> on June 3, 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MLA\u2019s overtures pertain to the presidential executive order of April 2025 that aims to make the U.S. seafood sector competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The industry anticipates a Cape Cod monument status reversal, following a recent reopening of protected Pacific fisheries near the American Samoa<\/u><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lobstermen also seek a decision on the \u201cGray Zone,\u201d a Canada-contested area of 277 square miles, off northern Maine.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local fishers begrudge the regional contention over this lobster ground, and Trump\u2019s interest in the area has rekindled arbitration hope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maine\u2019s lobstering is year-round but runs in full steam June through August, delivering the biggest shellfish haul federal-wide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conservation Measures<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With the Gulf of Maine\u2019s lobster stock down 40% in 2023 since 2016, environmental regulations are increasing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For one, the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) enforces a $100 to $500<\/u><\/a> penalty for fishers who break trap rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In May 2025, the sector barely escaped Rule 27, which would have increased the legal lobster size by 1 1\/16 inches. The addendum could have eliminated the 1-pound lobsters that determine wholesome market prices<\/u><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With such policy changes, it is no surprise then for the Maine lobster sector to solicit the White House for intervention. To learn how policy has historically affected landings on this biggest shellfish coast in the U.S., read below statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maine Lobster Sector Policy and Landings Statistics <\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Maine lobster sector is the backbone of the coastal economy as it generates over $528 million<\/u><\/a> annually, as of 2024. With such huge contribution, it is no wonder then that policy changes have hounded the industry since its 1860<\/u><\/a> infancy. Below is a look at these historical changes and how they helped increase landings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1880<\/em>: lobster harvests reach over 14.2 million pounds<\/u><\/a> due to gaining commerce via canneries and new regulations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1916-1930<\/em>: lobster catches stay put below 10 million pounds<\/u><\/a> after 1916 due to loose rules that allowed indiscriminate catches. Lack of strong conservation rules for preserving ocean stock crush landings to less than 7 million pounds<\/u><\/a> by 1930.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1930<\/em>: a new conservation ethic helps drive catches higher than ever in comparison to both the 19th<\/sup> century and the early 20th<\/sup> century. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1947-1950<\/em>: lobster catches revamp to 20 million pounds annually. This is due to strengthening conservation measures and the onset of airborne commerce for fresh deliveries to California and abroad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1990-2000<\/em>: catches rise to over 30 million pounds<\/u><\/a> a year, even as rules on biodegradable traps make fishermen more responsible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2000-2020<\/em>: landings in Maine reach over 50 million pounds a year due to the rejuvenation rules of the past.  2016 produced the biggest catch ever at above 132 million pounds<\/u><\/a>. Then, tough ecological measures were under enforcement such as the conversion of the Cape Cod fishery into a national monument.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lobster fishermen and sector representatives in Maine hope President Donald Trump will ease fishing by reopening an important fishery. \u00a0 Initially, President Barack Obama made the lobster-rich Cape Cod coast adrift 4,900 square miles a marine park.  Trump reverted the decision in 2020, only for President Joe Biden to close it again in 2021.  The…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":18976,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Maine lobster sector expects Trump to ease lobstering - Selina Wamucii | Food & Agriculture News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.selinawamucii.com\/news\/2025\/06\/10\/the-maine-lobster-industry-expects-trump-to-ease-lobstering\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Maine lobster sector expects Trump to ease lobstering - 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