
New Bedford Mayor Calls for Repeal of Lobster Size Limits
NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — Mayor Jon Mitchell has penned a letter he hopes will help New Bedford lobstermen not feel the pinch come this summer.
Mitchell sent a letter today to Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Executive Director Robert Beal pushing for the repeal of Addendum XXVII to the ASMFC’s lobster fishery management plan, which is set to take effect in July and will limit the catch size of lobsters.
“As Mayor of America’s top commercial fishing port, I write to urge the ASMFC to repeal Addendum XXVII concerning lobster gauge size,” Mitchell wrote.
“I submit that the ASMFC should listen to lobstermen and work with them on alternatives that would be far less draconian and far more effective at sustaining the fishery and the fishermen in the long term,” he wrote.

Massachusetts’ annual lobster landings total nearly $100 million, making it the state’s second most valuable fishery behind sea scallops. However, Mitchell warned that the regulation – designed to help with conservation efforts – could cause “an estimated loss of 30 to 40 percent of their annual income” and “may permanently drive some out of business.”
“It is widely accepted that the lobster fishery has experienced declining catches in recent years in the Gulf of Maine, and I agree that some conservation steps should be taken,” he wrote. “However, those efforts should be based on recent findings from the ongoing stock assessments, rather than the outdated information that underlies the current proposal.”
Mitchell said in his letter that limiting the size of U.S. lobstermen’s catch would put them at a “competitive disadvantage” to Canadian lobstermen, who don’t have to abide by the same regulations.
Those Canadian lobstermen would still be able to harvest and sell their catch in the U.S. market.
“The current proposal will put our fishermen at a massive competitive disadvantage and has the potential for changing the market share of our fishermen for generations to come,” Mitchell wrote.
READ MORE: Mayor Mitchell's Complete Letter Regarding Lobster Size Limits
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