In the state of Maine, a rather profound political fight is taking place in 2022, and the White House just stepped directly into the middle of it.
The Maine Lobster industry was recently rocked by a decision from an environmental group to no longer certify the ecological safety of the practice, citing an alleged “threat” to the right whale population. This has caused a number of major retailers to stop carrying Maine Lobster, despite no record of any right whale deaths arising from lobster fishing equipment or practices.
Maine lawmakers are furious over the situation, and President Joe Biden simply didn’t read the room while preparing for a state dinner with his French counterpart.
A Democratic lawmaker is pushing back on President Biden’s pompous White House celebration, where 200 live lobsters will be served for guests Thursday during a state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The night before the dinner, where guests are expected to enjoy lobster and caviar, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, took to Twitter to urge Biden to meet with the lobstermen his administration is “currently regulating out of business.”
Golden was livid.
“If the Biden White House can prioritize purchasing 200 Maine lobsters for a fancy dinner, [Biden] should also take the time to meet with the Maine lobstermen his administration is currently regulating out of business,” Golden said in a tweet.
The issue has been ongoing.
The Maine lawmaker released a statement in October saying Biden broke his promise to Maine lobstermen.
“In 2020, while running for president, Biden pledged ‘I will work to protect the livelihood and safety of the fishing community’ in reference to lobstermen. He has yet to take a single action to make good on that pledge,” Golden said.
“You cannot espouse being a president for working people while simultaneously overseeing the destruction of an entire blue-collar fishery and its community’s heritage and way of life,” he added. “I implore you to recognize and oppose these proposed right whale conservation measures and to meet with Maine’s congressional delegation as well as leaders of the lobster community to find common sense solutions to ensure that Maine’s lobster and fishing industries and the right whales will survive for generations.”
The controversy comes after a record-breaking 2021 lobster season, in which Maine officials declared the harvest to be the most valuable of all time.
