Supporting Maine Lobstermen

Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, and Governor Janet Mills announced that they were successful in securing a regulatory pause for Maine’s lobster industry in the omnibus appropriations bill that is expected to pass the Senate and House this week. “Maine’s lobstermen and women have long demonstrated their commitment to… Read more »

Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, and Governor Janet Mills today released the following statement after Whole Foods Market said it would stop selling Maine lobster nationwide: “We are disappointed by Whole Foods’ decision and deeply frustrated that the Marine Stewardship Council’s suspension of the lobster industry’s… Read more »

In response to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) favoring the shipping industry over the lobster industry in its attempts to reduce the risk of right whale deaths, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden wrote to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to express their opposition… Read more »

Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, and Governor Janet Mills today released the following statement after the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced plans to temporarily suspend their certification of Maine’s lobster fishery. In their decision, MSC acknowledges that while the Maine fishery meets standards for… Read more »

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representative Chellie Pingree, announced today that two Maine organizations will be receiving a total of $1.2 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Sea Grant American Lobster Initiative to support the health of Maine’s lobster industry and help lobstermen adapt to any potential regulatory… Read more »

  Following the unsubstantiated and speculative decision by Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch to place Maine lobster on their seafood “Red List,” Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) and Senator Angus King (I-ME) today announced that they will be introducing the Red Listing Monterey Bay Aquarium Act in the House and Senate. This bill would prohibit federal taxpayer… Read more »

Assistant Administrator Coit and the others who are here with us tonight from NOAA Fisheries, thank you for responding to the request of our delegation and the Governor and coming to Maine to hold this meeting.   I am Chellie Pingree, I represent the First Congressional District which includes the coastal and island communities from Kittery to Camden. My own home is on an island 12… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced $2.12 million in federal funding to strengthen Maine’s aquaculture industry. Awarded through National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant program, the funding will support sustainable aquaculture projects at the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center and the University of Maine Center for Cooperative… Read more »

Following the unsubstantiated decision by Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch to include Maine lobster on its seafood “Red List,” Senator Susan Collins, Congressman Jared Golden, Senator Angus King, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, and Governor Janet Mills published an open letter to retailers setting the facts straight.  On behalf of the 4,500 Maine lobstermen and women… Read more »

After the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) gave lobster industry participants just two business days to submit proposals for a new risk reduction plan to protect right whales and denied lobstermen and their allies access to a key data tool, Maine’s congressional delegation pushed back today against these decisions by the agency.  In their letter to NMFS, Congressman Jared… Read more »