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Golden Urges Feds to Drop Unnecessary Mask Mandate for Commercial Fishermen

June 3, 2021

Coast Guard stopping Maine fishermen for violating mask requirements intended for ferries and cruise lines

LEWISTON — After hearing from fishermen in his district, Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) yesterday pressed two federal agencies to update their mask requirements for commercial fishing vessels. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has stopped and issued warnings to Maine fishermen in recent weeks for not wearing masks on their boats.

"I write in response to feedback from Maine fishermen who report that the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is enforcing a mask mandate on commercial fishermen that applies at all times when they are onboard a fishing vessel," wrote Congressman Golden. "While I understand the importance of masking for COVID-19 mitigation, I respectfully urge your agencies to collaborate to update masking requirements for commercial fishermen."

Multiple instances of Maine fishermen being stopped by the Coast Guard for violating mask requirements have been reported to Golden's office.

"Updating the guidance to clarify that it does not apply to small commercial fishing vessels would ease an unnecessary compliance burden on fishermen, free up USCG resources, and help maintain public trust that COVID-19-related public health mandates are science-driven and necessary," Golden continued.

The CDC currently requires masks on "public modes of transportation," including "public maritime vessels, including ferries." The CDC and USCG have chosen to interpret this requirement as applying to commercial fishing vessels, even though such boats are not open to the public. Enforcing the rules on lobster boats in particular, most of which are small boats with one or two crew, also appears to conflict with the CDC's guidance allowing for vaccinated people to participate in a wide variety of activities while outside.

Organizations representing Maine lobster and fishermen report similar instances of USCG stops and support the congressman's efforts.

"Since the start of the pandemic, many in the fishing industry quarantined together to keep crews and families safe," said Ginny Olsen, Executive Board Member of the Maine Lobstering Union. "Fishermen see their crew more time than their family some days, and for the Coast Guard to disrupt their work like this is extremely unfair."

"Maine fishermen work tirelessly to keep each other safe – whether that's on the water or in the community and that has been especially true during the pandemic," said Ben Martens, Executive Director of the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association. "Fishing boats are not cruise ships and all the best science suggests that it's safe for these small crews to go fishing in the open air without masks. The requirement for fishermen to wear masks is outdated and enforcing that policy is a waste of resources for both the fishermen and the government, and I'm glad to see Congressman Golden pushing back on this policy."

Read a copy of the letter here.