PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 21, 2025
For generations, lobstermen have led conservation in the Gulf of Maine, and we must remain committed to maintaining our proud legacy of environmental stewardship. Our organizations, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association and the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, are working together to promote one of the most effective, uniquely Maine, conservation practices: v-notching. The v-notch identifies a female lobster bearing eggs. She is then returned to the ocean so she can continue to reproduce after her eggs have hatched. V-notching is an investment in our fishery’s future. Fishermen advocate for a greater voice in management decisions. Maintaining credibility in the regulatory process depends on lobstermen continuing to live up to our reputation as world-class stewards of the lobster resource. ~ Jarod Bray, chairman, Maine Lobsterman’s Association; Dustin Delano, COO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association