BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 6, 2026
Maine lobstermen caught about 79 million pounds of lobster last year, less than any year in recent memory. When people see that number, they’ll be tempted to assume the worst for the future of a fishery that’s critical to our state’s economy. But my experience on the water, and the latest science, come to the same conclusion: The fishery that many Maine families and communities have staked our lives on is not slipping away. What gives me real confidence looking ahead is all the small lobsters I’m seeing in my traps. Science is saying the same. The Maine lobster fishery is one of the best managed in the world. It got that way because fishermen bought into the importance of conservation and worked with scientists and regulators over generations to protect it. ~ Sonny Beal, Jonesport-Beals