The House Natural Resources Committee has approved a bill proposed by Rep. Jared Golden (D) making the moratorium on new regulations pertaining to North Atlantic Right Whale valid through 2035.

The original moratorium, set to expire in 2028, was secured in 2022 while former President Joe Biden was in office, due in part to the urging of Maine’s congressional delegation alongside Gov. Janet Mills (D).

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association has indicated that adopting ropeless gear would cost at least $45 million in total due to the expense of trawling up, acquiring and adding weak points, purchasing specialized rope, lengthening groundlines, marking gear, and hiring additional crew to complete this work.

Conservationists often advocate for the use of ropeless gear on the grounds that it helps to minimize harmful interactions with the North Atlantic right whale, which has been considered endangered since 1970 with a population of roughly 380.

In a bipartisan vote of 22-13, the House Natural Resources Committee sent Rep. Golden’s measure to the chamber floor.

“In 2022, Congress enacted this regulatory pause and funded new efforts to gather information to support a data-driven process establishing rules that made sense for both the fishermen and the whales,” Golden said in a statement Wednesday.

“But today the rulemaking process is behind schedule for reasons that have nothing to do with Maine fishermen,” he said. “At the same time, those charged with gathering the necessary data say more time is needed to ensure regulations can incorporate the best available science.”

“Mainers are not asking for much,” Golden added. “We just need more time.”

Click Here to Read Rep. Golden’s Full Statement

Earlier this year, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a State of Administration Policy backing the measure.

In its notice, the OMB explained that the effort to extend this moratorium is in alignment with the Administration’s priorities as outlined in Executive Order 14276, Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, which seeks to “promote the adoption of new technology and the productive harvest of our seafood resources.”

Sen. Susan Collins (R) and Sen. Angus King (I) have also called for continued engagement with seafood industry stakeholders regarding concerns over ropeless gear, also known as “on-demand” gear.

In a letter to the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Eugenio Piñero Soler, the senators urged consideration of alternatives such as Dynamic Area Management.

Sens. Collins and King explained in their letter that while Maine has made “meaningful progress” toward the eventual adoption of innovative fishing technologies, there are still “substantial issues” that must be resolved before they are “suitable for broad implementation in Maine’s fisheries.”

“Cost and increased trip time are among the most significant barriers,” they said. “Interoperability is another unresolved and critical challenge.”