{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases/maine-delegation-governor-mills-announce-lifeline-for-maine-s-lobster-industry-secured-in-government-funding-package", "Maine Delegation, Governor Mills Announce Lifeline for Maine\u2019s Lobster Industry Secured in Government Funding Package", "2022-12-20", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Jared F. Golden", "G000592", "golden.house.gov", "golden", "https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.\u2014Today, 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\u2019s lobster industry in the omnibus appropriations bill that is expected to pass the Senate and House this week.\n\n\u201cMaine\u2019s lobstermen and women have long demonstrated their commitment to maintaining and protecting a sustainable fishery in the Gulf of Maine. They have invested in countless precautionary measures to protect right whales, including removing more than 30,000 miles of line from the water and switching to weaker rope to prevent whales from being entangled. And the fact is\u2014 there has never been a right whale death attributed to Maine lobster gear,\u201d said the Maine Delegation and Governor Mills. \u201cDespite our industry\u2019s good stewardship and compliance with NMFS\u2019 most recent regulations to protect right whales, our lobstermen and women are now faced with further punitive regulations that will not meaningfully protect the right whale, but will threaten the livelihoods of thousands of Maine families and small businesses.\n\n\u201cWe have always said that we will pursue any and all policy solutions to protect our hardworking lobstermen and women along Maine\u2019s coast,\u201d they continued. \u201cOur provision, which relies upon the expertise of the professionals at the Maine Department of Marine Resources, was included in the government funding bill released this morning. It will enable our lobster fishery to continue to operate while still complying with NMFS\u2019 most recent right whale rule. Without our provision, Maine\u2019s iconic industry could be facing a complete shutdown\u2014and the ripple effects across our state would have been widespread.\u201d\n\nAlthough there has never been a right whale death attributed to Maine lobster gear, misguided environmental groups have been seeking actions that would end lobstering in Maine, all based on the theoretical possibility that a right whale could be killed.\n\nThe provision is a simple compromise that would protect the livelihoods of the men and women who make their living from one of the best managed and sustainable fisheries on earth.\n\nSpecifically, the provision in the omnibus:\n\nDeems the current right whale rules sufficient to ensure the continued operation of the lobster and Jonah crab fisheries for six years (through December 31, 2028).\n\nProvide that new regulations for the lobster and Jonah crab fisheries would take effect in six years (by December 31, 2028).\n\nAuthorizes a new grant program that could fund innovative gear technologies and the monitoring necessary to support the dynamic management of fisheries. Fishermen and other participants within the maritime industry would be eligible for this funding.\n\nThe Maine Delegation and Governor Mills have been steadfastly opposed to undue burdens that would threaten the lobster fishery without meaningfully protecting whales. Following the release of the final rule in late August 2021, the Maine Delegation and Governor Mills issued a statement in opposition to the rule and highlighting the Maine lobster fishery\u2019s record of repeatedly making significant improvements to their practices and modifications to their gear to protect right whales. In October 2021, they wrote to Secretary Raimondo to urge her to rescind the rule, and in February 2022 called for a postponement of the rule due to difficulties lobstermen were having obtaining the necessary gear.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"]], "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/maine-delegation-governor-mills-announce-lifeline-for-maine-s-lobster-industry-secured-in-government-funding-package"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3041258789598942, "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"}