Golden urges regulators to adopt proposed delay to lobster gauge increase, calls for level playing field with Canadian lobstermen

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) yesterday sent a letter urging the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASFMC) to formally adopt a delay to a lobster gauge increase in the Gulf of Maine until at least July 2025. He called on the Commission to gather more accurate lobster stock data in the meantime while also addressing the unequal regulatory burden between Maine and Canadian lobstermen.

“It is my hope that the ASFMC will ultimately support a long-term pause of the amendment to allow additional time for the technical committee to consider the stock’s health more carefully.…” Golden wrote. “...These efforts should coincide with robust engagement with your Canadian counterparts to address the regulatory disparity between American and Canadian lobstermen and create a level playing field for all harvesters in the Gulf of Maine.”

Lobstermen gauge the size of a lobster by measuring its carapace from eye socket to tail. Lobsters that are smaller than the minimum gauge size must be put back in the water so they can grow, protecting the lobster population for the future. According to the ASMFC, lobster stock decline in Lobster Management Area 1 has surpassed 35 percent — the trigger point for an automatic increase in allowable catch size from 3 1/4 inches to 3 5/16 inches. However, Maine fishermen have questioned the data used to justify these changes, including concerns that ASMFC stock data is out of date. 

This new rule — known as Addendum 27 — was originally scheduled to begin in January 2025. Following calls in April and August from Golden and industry leaders, ASMFC voted to approve a delay until July 2025. However, the Commission has yet to formally adopt the measure — Addendum 31 — which means implementation is still currently slated for January.  

In his letter, Golden noted that moving forward with the gauge increase is estimated to cause theloss of more than 680 jobs and $59.6 million to Maine’s economy. Any such change in the Gulf of Maine would not apply to Canadian lobstermen.

“The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association would like to express our gratitude to Congressman Golden for highlighting the problems associated with an increase in the minimum gauge size in area 1 for lobster,” Dustin Delano, a lobsterman and chief operating officer of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association said. “We feel the many negative, unintended consequences in this 'proactive approach' in management were severely overlooked, will cause major disruptions to the market, and place American dealers and harvesters at a major disadvantage from their Canadian counterparts.”

“Congressman Golden's support to review data used to regulate the lobster fishery is vital to the fishermen's survival,” Virginia Olsen, commercial lobsterman and director of the Maine Lobstering Union said. “The last thing our industry needs is rules with unintended consequences.”  

In July, Golden introduced a bipartisan amendment to the federal budget that would block any proposed gauge increase for one year. 

Golden’s newest letter can be found here, and is included below in full:

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October 8, 2024

Robert Beal
Executive Director
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1050 North Highland St, Suite 200 A-N
Arlington, VA 22201

Dear Director Beal and Commissioners,

I am writing to you again requesting that the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and the American Lobster Board delay the implementation of the Lobster Management Area 1 gauge increase, Addendum XXVII, currently scheduled to begin in January 2025. While I believe that the proposal as written in Addendum XXXI to delay a gauge increase until July 1, 2025, is the better of the two options presented by the ASMFC, I encourage the Commission to proceed solely based on the full consideration of all data sources and a commitment from Canadian regulators to enhance their conservation measures.

As you know, the intent of Addendum XXVII is to mitigate declining stocks of American lobster proactively, a goal shared by harvesters, dealers, and the ASFMC. In my conversations with lobstermen and dealers, it has always been clear that their top concerns are the sustainability of the stock and the ability for it to be harvested by future generations. That is why, as I previously stated in my letter to you on April 29, 2024, I am concerned that the data used to arrive at the trigger index for a gauge increase is overly precautionary and has limitations that do not entirely reflect the current status of the stock.

It is my hope that the ASFMC will ultimately support a long-term pause of the amendment to allow additional time for the technical committee to consider the stock’s health more carefully while considering other resiliency measures and incorporating thorough scientific data and objective analysis acceptable to regulators and members of the commercial lobster fishery. Other data that has not been considered or will become available include mandatory harvester reporting, the conservation equivalent from a reduction of overall lobster licenses, and the 2025 lobster stock assessment. These efforts should coincide with robust engagement with your Canadian counterparts to address the regulatory disparity between American and Canadian lobstermen and create a level playing field for all harvesters in the Gulf of Maine.

Without a longer-term pause, devastating economic consequences are on the horizon for Maine’s lobster industry. For the latest year data is available, it is estimated that if Addendum XXVII goes into effect, it would decrease the value of lobster landings, resulting in a loss of over 680 jobs and $59.6 million to Maine’s economy. I am deeply concerned about how this economic impact would impact the industry and the hundreds of communities in Maine that depend on a viable lobster fishery. Few involved in the fishery or these communities are adequately prepared for the economic disruption that would likely occur.

These decisions must always include those with significant experience, the harvesters themselves. I trust that you, as the regulators, will also consider and incorporate their invaluable input in matters before you.

Sincerely,

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