March 26, 2023 — Maine’s lobster industry is asking the state to continue bankrolling its legal defense fund by diverting a cut of its licensing fees intended to market the state’s signature crustacean into its court battles to fight federal whale protections that threaten the fishery’s future.
“We’re in the fight of our lives here,” House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham said. “Without the fishermen, there is no lobster to market. If we don’t win our lawsuits, there won’t be any fishermen left. That hurts all of Maine. It’s really that simple.”
The Winter Harbor Republican and lobsterman made his pitch for funding Thursday to the Marine Resources Committee at a public hearing on his bill, L.D. 710. It would give 20% of the industry’s license surcharges — about $380,000 a year — to the legal defense fund through 2030.
The fund was created to cover legal fees incurred by the Maine Lobstermen’s Association and the Maine Lobstering Union in the fight to overturn the National Marine Fisheries Service’s new whale protections and defend against environmental groups that want even tougher protections in place.
Originally, Faulkingham had sought a $1 million contribution over two years from the general fund, but after discussions with state officials, he changed it to a 20% cut of a marketing surcharge paid out of Maine lobster licenses, for a total of $2.3 million.