Senators Collins, King Urge NOAA to Reconsider Ropeless Gear Mandate for Maine Lobstermen

Senators echo views of Maine’s lobstermen and fisherman on the challenges posed by possible forced transition to unproven technologies.
WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King are calling for continued engagement with Maine’s seafood industry stakeholders. In a letter to Eugenio Piñero Soler, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Senators urge NMFS to heed the well-founded concerns expressed by Maine’s lobstermen and fishermen regarding ropeless gear, and to include them in any further regulatory discussions.
“Maine lobstermen’s concerns about ropeless gear are well-documented and deserve serious consideration. It is important to give full and meaningful weight to concerns raised by fishermen regarding ropeless/on demand fishing gear as NMFS’s core strategy for North Atlantic right whale (NARW) conservation,”the Senators wrote.“We urge you continue to explore other options such as Dynamic Area Management with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) and strongly encourage you to continue engaging fishermen directly as your agency approaches new rulemaking on this issue.”
“You heard these concerns directly from lobstermen at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum during the Federal Fisheries Leadership seminar. Lobstermen shared with you firsthand their concerns about the cost of this technology, and the dangers of not knowing where gear is placed in the Gulf of Maine,”they continued.“Small vessels simply would not have access to capital, deck space, crew, or familiarity with high-tech systems to survive a transition to ropeless fishing.”
“We appreciate your willingness to listen, and we encourage NMFS to approach future rulemaking with a genuine commitment to flexibility and co-development directly with stakeholders. A single, uniform solution, particularly one that mandates technology that is not yet proven at scale, is not the right path forward for this fishery or for the conservation goals we share. We look forward to continuing this conversation and welcome the opportunity to work with you and your team directly,”the Senators concluded.
This action by Senators Collins and King is a continuation of their persistent joint efforts in support of Maine’s lobster fishery. In 2022, when NOAA rolled out its Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP), the Senators urged the organization to create regulations that are based on thebest available evidenceandnot unfairly target the fishery. According to an estimate by the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, adopting ropeless gear would cost Maine lobstermen at least $45 million due to the expense of trawling up, acquiring and adding weak points, purchasing specialized rope, lengthening groundlines, marking gear, and hiring additional crew to complete this work.
Clickhereto read the complete text of the letter.
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