House Panel Backs Extending Lobster Gear Rule Pause

A House committee voted to advance a proposal that would extend the moratorium on new lobster gear rules, NEWS CENTER Maine reported. The rules being paused are meant to protect North Atlantic right whales, according to the report. The committee's action moves the extension forward, though the report did not specify how long the extension would last, the vote count, or what legislative steps remain before it could take effect. It also did not detail how the pause would affect Maine's lobster fishing industry, or what the new gear rules would have required had they moved forward on schedule. The moratorium extension continues a broader effort to delay new gear requirements tied to whale protection while the debate over the rules continues.

Video: NEWS CENTER Maine via YouTube.