Stonington officials coordinate responses to NOAA whale-protection plan affecting lobster gear

Town Manager Billings reported that Stonington filed comments with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on a proposed 10-year plan to reduce fixed fishing end-lines and described efforts to coordinate with nearby towns and industry groups.

Billings said the town is working with Vinalhaven and North Haven managers and with local organizations, including the Maine Lobstermen's Association and the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, to assess the plan’s potential effects on inshore lobstering. She warned that the proposed reduction of end-lines could impose significant operational and economic impacts on small-scale and inshore fishermen.

Deadlines for the BiOp and the 10-year plan comment periods were cited, and Billings said she would continue outreach to the congressional delegation and Maine-based fisheries organizations to raise local concerns. The selectmen did not vote on a formal municipal resolution at the meeting but noted the town will keep coordinating regional comments and support for industry stakeholders.

No formal federal-rule text was reproduced in the meeting minutes; Billings encouraged residents and commercial fishers to review the Maine Lobstermen's Association guidance and the NOAA comment portals if they wished to submit individual comments.