To comply with Maine’s law against landing netted lobsters, our groundfish vessels are forced to offload their catch in Massachusetts. For the sake of 500 lobsters, the Maine economy loses a typical fishing trip of 20,000-30,000 pounds of groundfish, along with the jobs and value added that this catch would have supported if it were legal to land in Maine. Every pound of groundfish landed and processed in Maine contributes $2.00 to the local economy.

As more of our fishermen are forced by economics to land their catch in Massachusetts ports, we see that the boats themselves are starting to relocate there. Captains and crews will follow. Their traditional skills, a lifetime in the learning, cannot be quickly replaced.

Maine’s groundfish fleet, once nearly 300 boats strong, has dwindled to close to 100. Economists say that a death spiral is now underway in this traditional Maine industry.  From 2000-2005, Maine's bycatch lobster prohibition cost the State 350 jobs, $13 million in wages, and $30 million in economic activity.

The Maine Legislature can fix this problem at no cost to taxpayers and no harm to the lobster industry, which is valuable and well regulated. No other New England state has a law like Maine’s.

Reforming Maine’s outdated and unwise lobster law by acknowledging its unintended consequences would be an important step in bringing these boats back to Maine, with their good jobs and economic value.  We believe Maine, like other New England states, can have both a directed and a bycatch fishery.

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