Maine Rep. Jared Golden Urges House Committee to Extend Regulatory Pause on North Atlantic Right Whale

Strategic Insights -

Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) has called on the House Natural Resources Committee to extend the moratorium on new regulations related to the protection of the North Atlantic right whale until 2035. Golden, who worked with the Maine delegation and Governor Janet Mills to enact a moratorium starting in 2023, argues that the pause is necessary to allow for the incorporation of research and data collected during the pause into future regulations. The proposed amendment to the Marine Mammal Protection Act would give the government more time to develop regulations based on real science and input from Mainers, and would also give lobstermen the time they need to prepare for any additional costs or changes to their harvesting practices.

Key Takeaways:

  • Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) has urged the House Natural Resources Committee to extend the moratorium on new regulations related to the protection of the North Atlantic right whale until 2035.
  • The moratorium, enacted in 2023, is scheduled to expire in 2028, and Golden argues that more time is needed to incorporate research and data collected during the pause into future regulations.
  • The proposed amendment to the Marine Mammal Protection Act would prioritize regulations based on real science, reliable data, and input from Mainers, rather than arbitrary worst-case scenarios.
  • Maine lobstermen have a proven track record of leading the way in ocean resource conservation and mitigating the risk of whale entanglements.
  • The value of Maine's lobster fishery has been valued at over half a billion dollars, with tens of thousands of jobs supported by the industry.
  • The proposed extension would give lobstermen the time they need to plan for new regulations and prepare for any additional costs or changes to their harvesting practices.
  • The Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team's first meeting on new regulations is scheduled for 2026, placing pressure on lobstermen to comply with new regulations that may be imposed within two years.

Statistics:

  • Maine's lobster fishery has been valued at over $500 million.
  • The industry supports tens of thousands of jobs.
  • The value of Maine's lobster catch exceeds half a billion dollars.
  • Only one incident has been attributed to Maine lobster gear as a cause of a right whale death.
  • 2023: The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against the National Marine Fisheries Service's flawed interpretation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Sources:

  • Congressman Jared Golden, press release, "Rep. Golden Urges House Committee to Protect Maine's Lobstermen"
  • U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources, "Meeting of the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries"