Senator Collins Attends Maine Fishermen’s Forum
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Rockport, ME – U.S. Senator Susan Collins attended the Maine Fishermen’s Forum Reception and Dinner at the Samoset Resort in Rockport and spoke with fishermen, leadership from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, the Maine Lobstering Union, and other stakeholders about Maine’s lobster and fishing industry. Over the course of the weekend, approximately 3,000 members of Maine’s fishing community attended the event.
“The fishing industry has sustained our coastal communities for generations and supports the livelihoods of thousands of Maine families,” said Senator Collins. “I enjoyed speaking with so many hardworking individuals at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum who are dedicated to promoting and maintaining the health of the fishing industry and protecting our precious natural resources for current and future generations.”
As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins secured key funding to support Maine’s lobster industry and fisheries—as well as the National Sea Grant Program and other ocean research initiatives—in the fiscal year 2020 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies funding bill that was signed into law in December.
Senator Collins has championed the lobster and fishing industry and has been working with the Maine Delegation to remove the unfair and harmful tariffs on U.S. lobster exports to China. In January, Senator Collins announced that lobster was specifically highlighted in the agricultural sector purchase agreement of the Phase One trade deal. Last month, Senator Collins and the Maine Delegation announced that China had taken a significant step to fulfill the agreement by establishing a one-year tariff exclusion process for certain U.S. goods, including live lobster.
Senator Collins is also working closely with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, the Maine Lobstering Union, and other stakeholders about the impending right whale rulemaking toward the goal of regulations that are fair, safe, and reflect the reality in the Gulf of Maine. This effort involves holding Canada accountable for its outsized role.
In addition, following Senator Collins’ advocacy, NOAA officials committed to working with their Canadian counterparts on a cooperative management solution for the “Gray Zone” surrounding Machias Seal Island to eliminate confusing, contrasting fishing regulations.
The Maine Fishermen’s Forum is an annual three-day event that hosts fishermen, gear suppliers, scientists, government officials, and other stakeholders to collaborate on all things fishing: markets, resource status, regulations, the latest in technology, the environment, and more. Each year, the Forum provides free seminars for fishermen covering a wide range of topics such as the health of the lobster resource, commercial fishing safety, and upcoming regulatory actions.