Maine
NH Gov. Kelly Ayotte joins Maine in rejecting new lobster regulations to protect industry
SEABROOK — New Hampshire has joined Maine in rejecting new regulations that would increase the minimum length of catchable lobster this summer.
Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte sent a letter to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) that oversees lobster caught by New Hampshire and Maine fishermen, stating New Hampshire would not comply with the guidelines set to go into effect July 1.
The new regulation requires an increase in the size of the gauge used by fishermen to measure lobster length, determining whether they can be caught or must be released. Lobstermen measure the size of a lobster by gauging its carapace (shell) from the eye socket to the tail.
Ayotte echoed a concern expressed by lawmakers in Seabrook, where lobstering is a local industry, that the rule could decrease lobstermen’s hauls by 30%. Her letter to the ASMFC follows similar action by Maine Department of Marine Resources Patrick Keliher, who said earlier this month Maine would not follow the regulations.
Ayotte called New Hampshire’s commercial fishing industry a “proud part of our heritage,” and said she has heard “loud and clear” from lobstermen and their supporters that the new regulations would damage the industry and the state.
“To ensure the survival of an iconic and historic industry in our state and our region, and to ensure our nation remains competitive in global trade, I ask you today to rescind these new guidelines,” Ayotte wrote. “In the meantime, New Hampshire will comply with the previous minimum size for lobster in an effort to preserve this proud industry.”
Since 2017, regulators have faced pressure to increase lobster gauge sizes following trawl surveys that indicated a decline in the population of small, sub-legal lobsters, according to Seafood Source.
The new regulation aims to address a 35% decrease in juvenile lobsters settling on the ocean floor, which is crucial for their maturation. ASMFC voting members, representing each Atlantic coast state, believe the change is necessary to help the lobster population recover. Cheri Patterson, chief of Marine Fisheries at New Hampshire Fish and Game, said earlier this month the rule was “backed by science.”
Lobstermen, however, have expressed concern that the regulations have no impact on Canadian fishermen who also catch lobster. Jim Titone, a Seabrook lobsterman since 1965, said the new change would also mean the end of fishing for the “chicken lobster” class, which refers to those that weigh 1 to 1.25 pounds.
Maine was set to adopt the gauge change for its lobstermen until a Jan. 9 hearing in Augusta drew significant backlash from members of the lobster industry. The following day, Keliher stated that they would not adopt the policy.
Lawmakers in New Hampshire who support the lobstermen then turned to Ayotte, as well as the incoming Trump administration, according to state Rep. Aboul Khan, who represents Seabrook, where many lobstermen dock their boats. He said he was glad Tuesday when Ayotte announced New Hampshire would not adopt the regulation.
“It would be good for the New Hampshire economy,” Khan said. “Thanks to Kelly Ayotte for understanding the men and women who work in this industry.”
Patterson could not be reached for comment.