Shaheen Announces Regional Funding to Support Lobster Research Efforts and Industry

**Senator Shaheen is the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which supports this project**

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), announced that the agency has awarded $2 million to support Sea Grant American Lobster Initiative projects throughout New England. Among those receiving federal funding is the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association, which has roots in Dover, New Hampshire as well as Newport, Rhode Island and will receive $326,556. The project will invest in lobster monitoring efforts to better understand their early lifecycle to improve management strategies for the lobster population.

The Sea Grant Lobster Initiative is funded by NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program and operated by the University of Maine with the goal of enhancing the U.S. lobster industry’s ability to respond to biological, economic and social changes affecting the regional ecosystem. Sea Grant is a public-private partnership that collaborates with institutions to study marine and coastal resources and developments. Sea Grant also partners with the University of New Hampshire. In funding legislation signed into law last December, Shaheen successfully increased funding for Sea Grant by $6 million – totaling $74 million nationally – and secured this $2 million for Sea Grant’s American Lobster Initiative, designated specifically for lobster research in New England.

“The Sea Grant College Program helps our region conduct important research that supports our lobstermen, fishermen and coastal communities. That’s why I fight each year to boost funding for this program in government funding legislation and why I’m so glad to see these federal dollars invested in New England where they’ll be put to such good use,” said Shaheen. “This grant will help the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association dedicate more time, research and resources to understanding the lobster lifecycle so we can improve our efforts to maintain the lobster population. Lobstermen in New Hampshire and across New England face increasing challenges from changing environmental conditions, and I’ll keep working to provide needed resources to ensure we protect and sustain this vital industry for the long term.”

Senator Shaheen is a strong advocate for New Hampshire lobstermen. Through her leadership role as Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NOAA, over the past two years, Shaheen has secured $4 million for lobster research.