Maine’s lobster industry will see a close to a $14 million investment by the federal government to help the industry adapt to new rules intended to save the critically endangered right whale from extinction.

The $14 million will be distributed to states through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to cover costs incurred by the fisheries industry to comply with the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan.  Potential costs include gear modification, configuration, and marking, in both state and federal waters.

Although all states enrolled in the ASMFC program are eligible to receive funds, Maine is expected to gather the bulk of the money because it is home to the vast majority of the American lobster fleet.

This new funding was included in the U.S House of Representatives’ Commerce, Justice, and Science Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations bill.  It’s worth noting that Maine’s lobster industry received nearly $17 million in funding in March as part of Congress’s $1.5 trillion omnibus funding package.