Sustainable Maine Fishing Foundation (SMFF) is a not-for-profit organization made up of men and women from all facets of the Lobstering Industry. Together, we are dedicated to protecting the Gulf of Maine to advance and preserve the rights of the fishing community through analysis, education, and legal services.
Sustainable Maine Fishing Foundation is working to protect the Maine Fishermen, and the Gulf of Maine, our largest producer of sustainable lobster in the world. For the lobstermen and women of Maine lobstering is something that they are born into, an industry rich in heritage that spans over hundreds of years, with a legacy that is passed on through the generations.
You can find them on the water in extreme cold winter months, or in the scorching summer sun. They are up at dawn and work late into the evening hours. The lobstermen of Maine have an unmatched dedication to their “job” and to their industry. An industry that is in constant jeopardy as new regulations threaten their way of life, their livelihoods, their future, and the future generations.
The coast of Maine ranks as one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world. Lobstermen go to great lengths to ensure that the lobster population will remain strong for years to come. Maine’s heritage fishery has been feeding the nation for decades due to the sustainable practices Maine fishermen instilled in their fishery and still practice on a voluntary basis today.
Our Causes
RIGHT WHALES – PREVENT THE CLOSURE LMA1
Awarded a TRO and Preliminary Injunction to prevent NOAA from closing LMA1
This highly active fishing zone is in jeopardy of being closed as part of 10-year plan to reduce the risk of right whales getting tangled in lobster fishing ropes and dying. The U.S. District Court granted a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to stop this closure as there was “no hard proof that whales actually gather in the area”.
WATER QUALITY AND INDUSTRIAL AQUACULTURE
We have been defending fishermen, shellfish farmers, and fiercely protecting the water quality in Maine. From maintenance dredging, that turned into much more in Searsport which DEP approved to dump Mercury in Penobscot Bay threating the lobster brand we covet as Mainers, to stopping foreign companies like NORDIC Aquaculture from discharging 7.7 million gallons of wastewater at higher than current ocean temperatures back into the ocean.
OFFSHORE WIND
Developers are looking at the Gulf of Maine to develop the nation’s first floating offshore wind research site in federal waters. The proposed research site is only 6 miles from the LMA 1 seasonal closure (mentioned in the Right Whale fight).
We need to make educated decisions based on energy needs, knowing what the costs and consequences of this will be. Independent science studies and environmental impact statements must be done and analyzed before, during, and after the research array to monitor the impact on our fisheries.
Donate to the Cause
We need to make educated decisions based on energy needs, knowing what the costs and consequences of this will be. Independent science studies and environmental impact statements must be done and analyzed before, during, and after the research array to monitor the impact on our fisheries.
Donate through VENMO by scanning the QR code below with your phone.
