Murphy, Blumenthal, DeLauro, Courtney, Himes Urge New Federal Lobster Management Plan to Include Feedback from Connecticut Lobstermen

HARTFORD, CT (April 12, 2017) — After hearing from concerned Connecticut lobstermen, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Joe Courtney (CT-02), and Jim Himes (CT-04)wrote a letter to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission urging them to include feedback from Connecticut lobstermen in their new lobster management plan for the Southern New England stock. Despite the long tradition of the lobster industry in the Long Island Sound, a decades-long decline in the Sound's lobster population has impacted local businesses and damaged the state's coastal economy.

"As elected representatives for the State of Connecticut, we see firsthand that the health of Long Island Sound and the bounty of marine life that call it home directly affect the long-term sustainability of our fishing industry," wrote the Members. "As the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission moves to finalize a new lobster management plan for the Southern New England stock, we urge you to conduct a thorough scientific review that assesses all factors that could contribute to the status of the stock and…we urge you to closely consider the opinions of all who work in this important industry."

Last week, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously passed the bipartisan Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act, co-sponsored by Murphy and Blumenthal in the Senate and sponsored by DeLauro and co-sponsored by Courtney and Himes in the House. The bill includes water quality and shore restoration programs and provides for additional focus, oversight and coordination of federal activities related to the restoration of Long Island Sound—helping to protect lobster in the Sound.

The full letter is available here.

###