We Will Always Need This Plentiful And Sustainable Food

We Support The Maine Lobster Industry

The Board of Monterey Bay Aquarium based in California have “Red Listed” Maine Lobster on their Seafood Watch List Program, which informs consumers to avoid eating lobsters from Maine. They have also personally reached out to major retailers and restaurants directly with misleading and harmful information about the Maine Lobster Industry - claiming that the lobster fishing gear (the ropes connected to lobster traps) used by the Maine Lobstermen are responsible for entangling, entrapping, and contributing to the endangerment of the Atlantic Right Whales. They say in order to save this endangered species, consumers should avoid purchasing, consuming, or promoting lobsters from Maine. So far, several major online retailers (one of them known as HelloFresh) have discontinued Maine Lobster’s as a result.

There is no evidence to support or prove these claims, and there have not been any cases of right whale entanglements or vessel strikes in almost 20 years with Maine Lobster fishermen. Why are Maine Lobster fishermen being blamed?

The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium (NARWC) 2021 Annual Report Card is published on the Monterey Bay Aquarium website – the document speaks about the decline in right whale sightings and the rise in mortalities that have happened over the last 20 years. The right whale mortalities are related to either vessel strikes or entanglements. In 2021, one of the confirmed entanglements resulting in mortality of a right whale was detected in U.S. waters, but the origin of the entangling gear remains unclear. Three vessel strikes have happened within the last 2 years - although the size of the vessel is estimated, the other details of the specific vessels that hit the right whales are unconfirmed.

In the report, there is no written information mentioning the colored markers on the ropes that could connect the gear to Maine Lobstermen. Within the last 18 years, there have been 0 cases of right whales being entangled in Maine Lobstermen’s gear, nor have they been hit by any of their fishing vessels – there is evidence and documentation to prove this.

Over the last 20 years, whale protection measures were put in place for Maine Lobstermen through the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan.
Maine Lobstermen use purple markers for the ropes placed 3 miles within the shore and green markers for ropes placed 3 miles or more off the shore.
U.S Federal regulators have imposed new fishing gear guidelines to help protect the marine species.
‘Weak links’ are placed within parts buoy lines on the ropes connected to the lobster traps – it is a plastic ring that will help break the rope to ensure marine species can break away if entangle.
Maine lobstermen have always complied with the Department of Marine Resources (DMR), and they have made the financial investments towards the fishing gear required fitting the guidelines, even though profits were cut significantly.

Senator Angus King, Governor Janet Mills, Senator Susan Collins, and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden are calling on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch to immediately reverse the controversial listing of Maine lobster on their seafood “Red List” to further reduce the significant harm they have already caused to the industry.

“The recent decision by Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch to “Red List” Maine lobster with scant evidence of impacts on right whales is a reckless piece of activism that will inflict substantial negative real-world consequences on an important and iconic industry in Maine,” write the Maine Congressional Delegation and Governor Mills.

"No right whale death has been attributed to Maine gear, and there has not been a right whale entanglement attributed to Maine lobster gear in eighteen years," Mills wrote. "This designation is flat out wrong. It sends the wrong message about Maine lobster, and it insults thousands of hardworking lobstermen who risk their lives to put food on the table while practicing responsible stewardship and taking action to protect whales. Consumers and businesses must see through this list and recognize that lobstermen are partners in conservation and sustainability and that the delicious Maine lobster can and should continue to be enjoyed."

On September 8th, Senator King submitted a letter to the Montery Bay Aquarium demanding that concrete and factual evidence, not assumptions, are to be provided to prove the connection of the right whale mortalities and entanglements to Maine Lobstermen’s fishing gear. Click here to read the full letter.

The fishermen are allies in protecting marine species, not enemies. Fishermen’s livelihoods and careers are based out in the ocean, no one cares more about Gulf of Maine and all its creatures more than the fishermen whose livelihoods depend on the ocean.

This is not the first time that environmental zealots have attacked the fishing industry with questionable evidence and assumptions claiming that marine species are being endangered due to fishermen’s negligence. This has also happened with the surf clam industry, ground fishing (cod, haddock, pollock, etc.), bluefin tuna, and more.

The fishing industry is one of the oldest industries and plays a huge beneficial role in the world economy. Over the last 10-20 years, the livelihood of fishermen started to become severely affected (or completely compromised), due to harsh regulations, restrictions, Catch Shares Program’s, and strict fishing quotas implemented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) – many fishermen in all fisheries have suffered financially, many businesses have closed over the years, and thousands of jobs have been lost.

Whenever aggressive actions are taken against the fishing industry, there is always a complete disregard for how it will affect the livelihoods of thousands as well as the overall economy. No matter how much evidence and support are provided to prove the claims to be false and unfair, it is never enough to reverse the damage that has already been done.

We live in a country where we are “innocent until proven guilty”, in this case we are “guilty until we are proven until innocent” - without any evidence PROVING that we’re guilty.

Click the links below to read more details about how the whale regulations have affected Maine Lobstermen & the Maine Lobster Industry.

https://mlcalliance.org/2018/08/06/young-lobstermen-weigh-in-on-20-years-of-whale-regulations/

https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/lifestyle/columns/2021/03/11/kennebunk-town-column-maine-fisherman-plea-publics-support/6936067002/

Quote: How many more American small businesses and American fresh, food products are we going to destroy? This will hurt ALL OF US, it already is! Whether people realize it or not, commercial fishermen help us ALL live better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaWZdp-rQmQ