The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) voted to repeal a proposal to change lobster gauge and vent sizes after strong opposition from the U.S. lobster industry.
The ASMFC Lobster Board originally voted in October 2024 to delay the gauge size increase – known as Addendum 27 – until 1 July 2025, which drew praise from the U.S. lobster industry. At its latest meeting, it approved Addendum 32 to Amendment 3, repealing all gauge and escape size measures from Addendum 27.
“Addendum XXXII responds to industry concerns about the potential economic impacts of an increase to the minimum gauge size in the Gulf of Maine,” the ASMFC said in a press release. “By repealing the gauge and vent size measures, the Gulf of Maine states will have the opportunity to engage with the lobster industry, including the Area 1 Lobster Conservation Area Team, to identify alternative conservation measures to protect the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank stock.”
The gauge and vent size measures would have effectively increased the size a lobster would need to be to be considered legal for fishermen to keep, reducing the amount of lobster available to catch.
Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Carl Wilson credited the strong opposition from members of the industry for the repeal.
“This was driven in large part by the Maine lobster industry’s strong objection to the gauge increase,” Wilson said. “With the gauge increase repealed, it is now critical that Maine develop a path forward that is informed by industry insight, observation, and vision for the future.”
The Maine lobster industry was strongly opposed to the gauge size changes. New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association COO Dustin Delano said the industry is already in decline, and any changes to the allowable catch size would push that decline further.
“Our small businesses are not viable unless we can harvest and sell our most popular products,” Delano said. “Our businesses cumulatively employ thousands of New Englanders, account for billions in economic activity, and support a shrinking tax base in coastal areas. Maritime communities oppose any change to the minimum catch size because our region cannot sustain it.”
Wilson said that in the wake of the repeal, the Maine DMR is developing a survey in collaboration with the Lobster Advisory Council to gather information from the fishery to better understand how members of industry feel about the resource and economics.
“The goal is to encourage broad participation from the lobster industry. Results of this survey will be used to inform future conversations, including discussions at Zone Council meetings and future ASMFC meetings,” Wilson said.
The objective is to work with industry, including industry associations, to get strong participation on the survey so that any results accurately reflect the Maine lobster industry’s views on the future of the stock.
