The Maine Lobstermen’s Association has voted to not support the Maine Department of Marine Resources right whale conservation plan.
In a statement Friday evening, the group said that the plan “seeks reductions that exceed the documented risk posed by the Maine lobster fishery” according to a Maine Lobstermen’s Association analysis of National Marine Fisheries Service data.
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The organization also said the plan could create unsafe conditions for some people in the lobster industry.
The Maine Lobstermen’s Association says it will work to create a protection plan for the endangered whales that would also minimize risk to its members.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.