Senator Collins Pushes Secretary Lutnick to Work with Maine Lobster Industry

Q&A on Working with the Lobster Industry

Click HERE to watch and HERE to download

Q&A on Risk Reduction Technologies for Ropeless Gear

Click HERE to watch and HERE to download

Q&A on Proposed Elimination of Economic Development Administration

Click HERE to watch and HERE to download

Washington, D.C. - At a hearing to review the Department of Commerce's Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget request, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, pressed Secretary Howard Lutnick to coordinate with Maine's lobster industry on renewing NOAA regulations and exploring technology beyond ropeless gear for smaller lobster boats. Sen. Collins also pushed back against the Administration's proposal to eliminate Economic Development Administration, stressing that it has been an important source of investment for Maine.

Q&A on Working with the Lobster Industry

Sen. Collins: It probably won't surprise you that my first two questions for you have to do with the lobster industry, and I want to thank you for joining with the Department of Agriculture in putting a spotlight on American-produced seafood and recognizing the need for more help in that area.

As you're well aware, back in 2022, Congress included language in the Appropriations legislation that imposed a moratorium through 2028 on new NOAA regulations affecting the American Lobster Fishery, to provide more time for additional research and data collection on the North Atlantic Right Whale and also to prevent, essentially what would have occurred, the closure of the lobster fishery. With the moratorium on Right Whale regulations set to expire in 2028, NOAA must soon begin the rulemaking process.

I'm asking today for your commitment to ensure that the Department will work with the lobster sector. They are the best stewards imaginable, and also with me and the rest of the Maine and New Hampshire delegation, to ensure that future regulatory actions will fully incorporate the most current population data for Right Whales, real-time monitoring technologies, and region-specific risk assessments, rather than relying on outdated assumptions that may no longer reflect the actual Right Whale distribution, or fishing patterns.

Sec. Lutnick: I hope to be considered the greatest friend of the lobstermen, who are a great asset, and you know I think that they are a great asset to our country. I had the pleasure, when I was last over in the United Kingdom, of going out and having them serve us Maine lobster in the United Kingdom, because it was important, because we opened that market. It had never been done before. So, this was opening that market for our great lobster fishermen.

We promise you that we will use the best data and the most precise data to make sure that our decisions are right for America and they need to be right for the lobstermen of Maine. We should not be using outdated data; we should use the best data and to make sure that we are protecting and doing the right thing for our great lobstermen.

Sen. Collins: Thank you so much for that commitment and for what you've already done.

Q&A on Risk Reduction Technologies for Ropeless Gear

Sen. Collins: I want to mention a specific technology that the Department has been pushing, it's called ropeless gear. The problem is that it remains prohibitively expensive and it's also very challenging from an operational perspective, particularly for our smaller lobster boats.

Lobster men and women have also stated to me that the technology poses safety risks to them. What investments is NOAA making in alternative, scalable risk reduction technologies, such as weak links, so that the line can break, reduced line lengths, enhanced gear marking, and real time tracking systems, which could achieve the kinds of meaningful conservation and protective benefits for the Right Whale without putting our small boat operators at risk or putting them out of business because of the cost of this ropeless gear?

My point is we shouldn't just focus on one kind of technology, the industry has all sorts of ideas, and I hope that you will commit to looking beyond just ropeless gear.

Sec. Lutnick: That is an easy commitment for us. We will never pick just one winner, that makes no sense for America. The key to America is great innovation. Someone who comes up with an interesting idea that's very expensive, I understand, and maybe for some big lobster boats, that would be great, but you need to cover all of America.

I am happy to engage with you to make sure we are examining all ways that we can be better, and there needs to be economically reasonable ways to be better. Everything can't just be well, that's a good idea, but it's darn expensive. That's just not the American way, and it's not the Department of Commerce's way, and it's not NOAA's way.

Q&A on Proposed Elimination of Economic Development Administration

Sen. Collins: And finally, the proposed budget would eliminate the Economic Development Administration. EDA has been such an important source of investment in Maine. It's supported our working waterfronts, it's helped our small businesses, it's been an economic engine in a lot of our smaller communities, particularly in rural Maine.

These investments are really critical to sustaining small businesses and port infrastructure and thus to supporting job growth and economic development. With the proposed elimination of the EDA, which I hope this committee will reject, but if it is to be eliminated, how would the department plan to ensure continued federal support for rural projects in states like Maine?

Sec. Lutnick: I think engaging with you and your staff to help us design the model the best we can, to make sure we are covering the areas both rural, suburban and, you know, make sure we're doing the best job we can. So, I'd like to engage with you and your staff to make sure the money that is appropriated is reconsidered, reimagined, and done the best that it possibly can.

###