Will a proposed seven-year regulatory pause save the Northeast lobster industry, or doom the endangered right whale?

Question

Accepted Answer

It will likely do some of both: buy crucial time for lobstermen, while increasing risk for the endangered North Atlantic right whale if that time is not used to deliver enforceable new protections. The seven-year extension in the Northeast Lobstermen Protection Act would move the current pause on some new federal lobster and Jonah crab rules from 2028 to 2035. Supporters, including Rep. Jared Golden, Rep. Mike Lawler, Maine regulators and fishing groups, argue NOAA delays, shutdowns and incomplete data have left rulemaking behind schedule. They say fishermen have already adopted major changes—fewer vertical lines, sinking groundlines and weak links—and that more time is needed to build rules on stronger science and new gear such as on-demand, or ropeless, systems. That case has some evidence behind it. NOAA and state partners are still testing on-demand gear in New England, and Maine officials say several data streams are not ready for regulatory use. Recent industry-backed claims also note the right whale population has shown four straight years of increase, helped in part by stronger Canadian protections. But the whale remains one of the world’s most endangered large whales, with only about 450 left, and entanglement and vessel strikes remain major threats. Environmental groups argue delaying tighter fishery rules postpones protections the species cannot afford to lose. So the pause is not, by itself, a rescue plan for either side. It helps the lobster industry survive nea…

Democrat Jared Golden Endorses Mike Lawler in New York's 1 Competitive House Race

Sources

Sources

Democrat Jared Golden Endorses Mike Lawler in New York's 1 Competitive House Race

Summary

Sources

Insights

Related Stories

Sources

Related Stories