MAINE PUBLIC • December 20, 2022
Language in a massive, omnibus budget bill would prevent federal fisheries regulators from imposing new regulations on the lobster industry until the end of 2028. “This is a great win for the lobster industry in Maine,” said Sen. Susan Collins, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee that crafted the budget bills. Sen. Angus King called the impending regulations an "economic death sentence" for an iconic, $1.5 billion industry that supports thousands of jobs and is the lifeblood for some coastal towns. The language inserted into the budget bill, King said, will give scientists time and money to gather more data about where right whales actually are while also supporting additional research into developing fishing gear that minimizes risks to whales. Environmental groups and whale advocates point out that Maine's lobster fishery has thousands of miles of rope in the water.