November 2, 2021 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has appealed a Maine judge’s order from last month that allowed traditional lobstering to continue in an area of offshore fishing grounds in the Gulf of Maine.
Two days before 967 square miles of fishing ground was supposed to be closed to lobstering to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale, Maine U.S. District Court Judge Lance Walker granted the Maine Lobstering Union, Stonington-based Damon Family Lobster Co., and a Vinalhaven lobster dealer a temporary restraining order that allowed fishing in the planned closed area.
Last week, the federal government, who had come up with the rules, appealed that restraining order, arguing that the Trenton-based union, Damon Family Lobster Co., and the third plaintiff had “utterly failed” to meet the burden needed to necessitate the halt of the closure.
NOAA argued that the union and lobster dealers did not provide any evidence of irreparable harm and said that the National Marine Fisheries Service complied with the law and rationally based its decision on the best available science.
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