Golden celebrates repeal of lobster gauge increase

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) released the following statement today regarding the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) vote today to repeal a proposed increase in the minimum size requirement for lobster caught in the Gulf of Maine:  

“Any day regulators listen to the lobstermen is a good day for Maine,” Golden said. “Today’s decision by ASMFC is a direct result of Maine harvesters’ leadership in pushing back against this drastic and unnecessary rule change. I’m proud to have stood with those Mainers to advocate for their industry and will continue to stand with them to ensure they have a seat at the table in assessing stock data and deciding what regulations — if any — are needed in the Gulf of Maine. No one is more invested in the future of our fishery than they are.” 

The ASMFC vote today comes roughly one month after Maine’s Department of Marine Resources (DMR), facing sustained pressure from Maine’s lobster industry, announced it would not implementthe new gauge increase. New Hampshire quickly followed suit. 

BACKGROUND:

Lobstermen use a gauge to measure each lobster’s carapace from eye socket to tail. Under current rules, those that are smaller than the minimum gauge size of 3.25 inches must be put back in the water so they can grow, protecting the lobster population for the future. 

In 2024, data from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) indicated lobster stock had declined by more than 35 percent in Lobster Management Area 1, the largest management area in the Maine fishery, triggering the need for new conservation measures. DMR proposed a gauge increase of one-sixteenth of one inch — two times larger than the last gauge increase 30 years ago. 

Maine fishermen have questioned the data used to justify these changes, including concerns that ASMFC stock data is out of date. In addition to questions about the reliability of the data, Golden and Maine fishermen have raised concerns about how an increased minimum size requirement would put Maine lobstermen at a competitive disadvantage with Canadian harvesters.

Golden is the only House member from the New England states to take up the lobstermen’s cause regarding the proposed gauge increase. Working with lobstermen, he sent severalletters to ASMFC urging the commission to block or delay the rule change, and drafted legislation in the last Congressto halt the increase pending newer, more reliable stock data.

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