[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14539]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING NATIONAL LOBSTER DAY

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, this August the Senate unanimously passed 
a resolution designating September 25, 2015, as National Lobster Day. I 
was proud to cosponsor that resolution with my fellow Mainer, Senator 
Angus King, and to be joined by our New England colleagues, Senators 
Shaheen and Ayotte of New Hampshire, Reed and Whitehouse of Rhode 
Island, and Murphy and Blumenthal of Connecticut.
  That day has arrived and will be celebrated with a special event at 
the Maine Maritime Museum in the City of Bath. For more than a half-
century, this outstanding museum has honored our State's seafaring 
heritage and the important role Maine plays today in global maritime 
activities.
  Lobster fishing is central to that heritage. Since colonial times, it 
has served as an economic engine and a family tradition in New England, 
helping to support the livelihoods of thousands of families. Throughout 
the region, more than 120 million pounds of lobster are caught each 
year, making it one of our most valuable commodities.
  More than 70 percent of this harvest is hauled in by Maine's 6,000 
commercial license holders. Lobster is the backbone of Maine's prolific 
fishing industry, which produces more than $1 billion in economic 
activity and supports 26,000 year-round jobs in such affiliated 
enterprises as boatbuilding and maintenance, trap-making, bait, fuel 
and other supplies. The Maine lobster industry is built upon thousands 
of owner-operated family businesses, where the generations work 
together, supporting themselves and sustaining their communities.
  The hard-working men and women of the Maine lobster industry are the 
original conservationists. For more than 150 years, they have led the 
way in managing this precious resource through size restrictions and 
trap limits, and they are at the forefront of efforts to protect whales 
and other marine mammals. The economic activity they generate helps to 
preserve the working waterfronts that are essential to coastal 
communities.
  The lobster industry represents the very essence of Maine--a deep 
respect for the environment and a dedication to hard work. I 
congratulate the men and women of the Maine lobster industry for 
upholding this centuries-old heritage and thank the Maine Maritime 
Museum for celebrating it.

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