Supporting Maine Lobstermen

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded a $500,000 grant to the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center in Walpole to develop an aquaculture workforce training pilot in partnership with Washington County Community College. “Maine’s aquaculture sector… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) will receive a grant of $749,856 from the Economic Development Administration to fund the Gulf of Maine Blue Innovation Recovery Program, which will help seafood businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic through innovation and increasing… Read more »

In their first joint letter to President Biden, Maine’s congressional delegation raised the alarm on misguided regulations that present an unprecedented threat to the state’s lobstermen and lobstering communities, and urged the president to act on his promise to protect lobstermen’s livelihoods.  The letter from Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02), Senators Susan Collins… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), joined a bicameral, bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and members of the U.S House of Representatives calling upon the Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kevin Shea, to quickly implement  a program to provide grants and forgivable loan support to seafood processing facilities and processing… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced the Maine Aquaculture Association in Hallowell will receive $400,499 through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Sea Grant Program. This grant will fund research into the future of Maine’s Blue Economy, including its seafood and fishery markets.  “Maine’s economy… Read more »

Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02), Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME), and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01) today urged the U.S. Department of Commerce to reject a petition for emergency interim fishery regulations regarding the North Atlantic right whale. The petition, submitted by a number of out-of-state interest groups, would bypass the established regulatory… Read more »

Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Jared Golden (D-Maine) applauded a trade agreement that will eliminate the European Union’s (EU) tariffs on American lobster. The agreement comes after years of retaliatory tariffs in both the EU and China have imposed severe economic challenges for Maine’s lobster industry, and follows extensive… Read more »

Washington, D.C. — With the 60-day deadline fast approaching, today Maine’s Congressional Delegation wrote to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue urging him to immediately act on President Trump’s June 24th memorandum to provide relief funds to the lobster industry.  President Trump’s memo stated “the Secretary of Agriculture shall, within 60… Read more »

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden issued a joint statement in response to reports that China has decided to establish a one-year exclusion process for certain U.S. goods imported into China.  Live lobster is included as one of the 696 US-origin products eligible for a tariff exemption.   “We welcome the… Read more »

Maine Delegation Calls on NOAA to Protect Right Whales from Ship Strikes NOAA has proposed no new restrictions to address ship strikes, but moves forward with broad new regulations on lobstermen  WASHINGTON — Maine’s congressional delegation called on the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) this week to take steps to protect the endangered North Atlantic right… Read more »