Debbie Dingell · TranslatePolitics.com

House of Representatives

Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act of 2026

2026-09-01

“I am against this bill. It does not protect the whales. I think we can find a way to protect both whales and the fishing industry. The real problem is Trump's trade policies and high diesel prices. That hurts fishermen more. We need to stop these trade wars. They hurt our economy and raise costs for everyone. Let's consider the real impact on fishermen across the country. The bill does not address this. I will motion to stop the bill. I want an amendment about high costs for fishermen. This is what really matters. We need to bring down costs.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 9436 pushes the North Atlantic right whale closer to extinction. I respect my colleague from Maine a great deal, and I agree with him that we can protect the right whale and protect the Maine fishermen as well. A 13-year waiver from complying with the Endangered Species Act does nothing for the lobster industry, which was on a path to sensible rules that keep fishermen on the water and protect these critically endangered whales. They still have 2 more years to get the rules right, and we don't need to cut off a process that was moving in the right direction. Let's be clear. The gentleman and I actually share something in common, and that is the immediate threat to fishing communities across this country with President Trump's chaotic trade policies and the war of choice in Iran. If we are serious about American competitiveness, we need to get our priorities straight. We should not be picking unnecessary fights with our closest friend and neighbor. Canada is our ally and our largest trading partner. This foolish trade war we are now in with Canada will tangibly raise costs for American families and create uncertainty for American businesses, workers, and communities. Fisheries across our country are being decimated by the high price of diesel fuel. As we have heard from the majority, the lobster industry is a $2 billion industry that supports about 1,700 jobs. These fishermen are changing how they work and rethinking how many fishing trips they can take given rising costs. They are often opting for longer, more dangerous trips rather than taking multiple trips to try and pull in the same amount of seafood using less oil. According to the New England's Fishermen's Stewardship Association, this means more fatigued workers and a higher risk of accidents. Great Lakes fisheries, which include commercial, recreational, and Tribal fisheries, are a $5.1 billion industry supporting 75,000 jobs. Fishermen are opting to stop fishing because they can't make the math work with diesel as high as it is, and fish prices to consumers are being raised to compensate. Across the country, marine fisheries generate $319 billion in sales and support 1.7 million jobs. A U.S. shrimper recently reported spending an additional $20,000 on a single trip because of diesel costs. These fishermen are already operating on razor-thin margins, and fuel costs are near or exceeding the shrimp prices. This isn't sustainable. Just as we have seen in the Great Lakes, fishermen are going to start walking away from their small businesses. Not only are our fishing communities struggling to stay afloat, they also need to pass along these additional costs to American families purchasing their seafood. Back in the Great Lakes region, our manufacturing sector is facing alarming tariffs from Canada because of President Trump's and Secretary Lutnick's inability to seriously and diplomatically negotiate a strong and fair trade deal. As if we needed yet another reminder of the pain inflicted on our States by these policies, the President decided to get back at Canada by changing the name of one of our Great Lakes. By the way, it is not going over well at home. Unfortunately, the majority is doing nothing this week to bring down costs and fight for American families and businesses. That is why, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to the committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill. My amendment would direct the Secretary of Commerce to publish a report on the high costs of fuel, fishing gear, and retaliatory tariffs on U.S. fishing businesses and the price of healthy seafood for American families. I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of this amendment into the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

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