Governor Janet T. Mills (D) at a Recent Indoor Event in Portland.

Governor Janet T. Mills, the first woman Governor of Maine and the state’s former  Attorney General,  announced this morning that the Maine Department of Marine Resoures (DMR) has been granted intervenor status in a lawsuit before the US District Court in Washngton, D.C.

The lawsuit challenges Federal regulations hurting Maine’s vital lobster industry.  It is the Mills Administration latest effort to stand up for the lobster industry and its hard working men and women in the face of the Federal government’s burdensome proposal.

“There’s never been a known right whale mortality associated with the Maine lobster fishery and there have been zero known right whale entangelements asociated with Maine lobster gear in almost two decades.  Despite these facts and regardless of our lobster industry’s proven committment to conservation, the National Maine Fisheries Service has pushed forward with regulations that will be devastating to our lobster industry and to our way of life” said Governor Mills.  “Maine cares about protecting the endangered right whale, but the Federal government’s regulations must be based in sound science and should account for conservation measures already taken by our fishery.  I am glad my Administration has been granted intervenor status by the Court so we can make our case.” The lawsuit is:  Maine Lobstermen’s Association vs. National Marine Fisheries Service.

“The Maine Lobstermen Association (MLA) welcomes the state’s support in what is a fight for the future of our way of life.  We believe NMF’s got it wrong and that there is a solution that would save the whales and protect Maine’s critical lobster industry,” wrote Kevin Kelley, a spokesman for the MLA, in an email to mhn.com today.