{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases/golden-urges-regulators-to-drop-unnecessary-new-ropeless-lobster-gear-proposal", "Golden urges regulators to drop unnecessary new ropeless lobster gear proposal", "2025-09-23", "2025", "2025-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Jared F. Golden", "G000592", "golden.house.gov", "golden", "https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) is urging the New England Fisheries Management Council (NEFMC) to abandon a proposed regulatory framework that would push Maine lobstermen toward using costly, unproven ropeless or on-demand gear.\n\nThe framework, independent of ongoing work authorized by Congress to study the necessity and viability of such gear, would greenlight its use in some or all federal waters off the coast of New England. The NEFMC will consider it at its upcoming meeting on September 25.\n\nIn a Monday letter to NEFMC\u2019s executive Director, Dr. Cate O\u2019Keefe, Golden called the proposal \u201cpremature and unnecessary\u201d and noted that it flies in the face of Congress\u2019s clear intent in pausing these kinds of regulatory changes until 2028.\n\n\u201cMaine\u2019s lobstermen are facing tremendous uncertainty, with various agencies operating in parallel considering new regulations that would fundamentally alter what it looks like to haul traps off the coast of Maine,\u201d Golden said. \u201cCongress enacted a moratorium on requiring this kind of gear, and that moratorium is still in effect while more data is gathered and studied. This framework, if adopted, would muddy the waters about what is required of Maine\u2019s harvesters, and there\u2019s no need for it.\u201d\n\nCongress\u2019 2023 budget included a provision championed by Golden and the rest of Maine\u2019s federal delegation that paused the development of new gear requirements until 2028. The law also empowered the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team (TRT) by giving it more time to determine what new regulations \u2014 if any \u2014 are needed. Work is already underway at the federal and state levels to compile and assess relevant data and craft solutions.\n\n\u201cIf adopted, the Joint Alternative Gear-Marking Framework would not only undermine the TRT process and confuse fishery stakeholders, but it would also defy the explicit will of Congress,\u201d Golden wrote in his letter.\n\nMaine fishermen have consistently raised concerns about the viability of ropeless and on-demand gear, including a lack of reliable testing, the lack of interoperability between various manufacturers of ropeless systems, and the high cost it would require of the small, independent businesses that make up Maine\u2019s lobster industry.\n\n\u201cForcing unproven ropeless gear onto our industry without reliable testing, interoperability or regard for safety would devastate small operators and coastal communities,\u201d said Dustin Delano, chief strategist of policy and operations at the New England Fisheries Stewardship Association. \u201cNEFSA stands with Congressman Golden in calling on the Council to respect congressional intent and reject this framework. Our fishermen deserve regulations rooted in sound science and practical realities, not politically driven experiments that threaten the survival of America\u2019s historic fisheries.\u201d\n\nThe Maine Lobstering Union Local 207 also opposed the NEFMC's proposed framework.\n\n\"There are still so many questions about this technology, but there's one thing we know for sure: If we had to adopt it today, it would put Maine fishermen out of business,\" said Ginny Olsen, executive liaison and political director of the Maine Lobstering Union.\n\nGolden\u2019s letter is included in full below, and can also be found here.\n\n###\n\nDr. Cate O\u2019Keefe\n\nExecutive Director\n\nNew England Fisheries Management Council\n\n50 Water Street, Mill 2\n\nNewburyport, MA 01950\n\nDear Dr. O\u2019Keefe,\n\nI am writing to share my strong opposition to the Joint Alternative Gear-Marking Framework (Framework) that will be considered by the New England Fisheries Management Council (NEFMC) at its September 25th meeting. This premature and unnecessary proposal ignores congressional intent and could adversely impact the livelihoods of thousands of Maine fishermen that I represent.\n\nAs you are aware, Congress, through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (P.L. 117-328), paused the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP) until December 31, 2028. This provision was included out of the dire need to preserve the existence of our nation\u2019s lobster fishery and to provide both state and federal regulators with more time to improve the data that informs the future management of this resource. In response to this congressional directive, the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team (TRT) delayed its own process until 2026, with no new rulemaking expected before 2028 in order to fully incorporate additional science and analyses. If adopted, the Joint Alternative Gear-Marking Framework would not only undermine the TRT process and confuse fishery stakeholders, but it would also defy the explicit will of Congress.\n\nAdditionally, it appears to me that this Framework pushes the lobster fishery into utilizing ropeless or on-demand fishing gear despite the lack of reliable testing of this technology and potential risks to crew safety. There are also numerous outstanding issues raised by fishermen regarding gear reliability and the potential for conflicts between the lobster industry and other fisheries that will not use this same gear but occupy the same waters. The technology does not yet exist to enable interoperability between the various manufacturers of these ropeless systems, and the excessive replacement costs that small operators would incur to replace lost equipment have yet to be addressed. In an industry already struggling with narrow financial margins and regulatory uncertainty, these are not trivial concerns. Absent more robust testing and input from fishing stakeholders, adopting the Framework could put thousands of fishermen out of business and destroy the communities along Maine\u2019s coast whose economies depend on a viable fishery.\n\nFor these reasons, I urge you to reject the Joint Alternative Gear-Marking Framework and instead adopt Alternative 1A. Doing so will ensure that the NEFMC is adhering to congressional intent and reassure the fishing industry that you will pursue an approach that is grounded in sound science and the lived realities of those whose livelihoods would be most impacted.\n\nI appreciate your attention to this important matter.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases/golden-urges-regulators-to-drop-unnecessary-new-ropeless-lobster-gear-proposal"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3540959917008877, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}