MAINE PUBLIC • March 24, 2022
Lawmakers in the Maine House gave initial approval Thursday to a $30 million fund to help lobstermen comply with new federal regulations aimed at protecting endangered whales. Starting on May 1, lobstermen in Maine will have to begin using weaker rope or special links on traplines that are designed to allow a whale to break free from fishing gear. The new federal regulations are aimed at preventing endangered North Atlantic right whales from potentially deadly entanglements. But the rules will come at a cost for the lobster fishing fleet, which hauled in a record $725 million in lobster last year. Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, a fisherman from Winter Harbor, said the proposed $30 million fund will help mitigate the costs for an iconic industry that generates more than $1 billion for the state.