U.S. lobster industry praises delay to gauge-size increase, calls for proposal to be scrapped entirely

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Lobster Board has voted to delay a gauge size increase known as Addendum 27 until 1 July 2025, drawing limited praise from the U.S. lobster industry.“We thank the commission for delaying the proposed rule change after consulting with lobstermen and their onshore partners,” New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association COO Dustin Delano said in a statement. “We hope today’s vote is a first step toward withdrawing Addendum 27 altogether.” Regulators have been pressured to increase lobster gauge sizes since 2017, after trawl surveys revealed a decline in the population of small, sub-legal lobsters. While the measure was temporarily put on hold as the industry grappled with the problem of protecting North Atlantic right whales, the process began again in 2021. In October 2023, the Lobster Board was told that the number of sub-legal lobsters found in surveys and ventless traps had declined by 39 percent, automatically triggering ...