Updated September 22, 2026. A planned increase in the minimum legal lobster size was once scheduled for July 2025. That scheduled increase did not remain the final policy: the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission approved Addendum XXXII in May 2025 to repeal the relevant changes.
What changed in 2025?
The Commission’s May 5, 2025 action repealed the gauge and vent changes established through Addenda XXVII and XXXI for the affected Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank management areas. Addendum XXXII had an implementation date of June 30, 2025, before the planned July increase.
It is therefore misleading to describe the July 2025 increase as an upcoming requirement. The earlier delay is part of the history of the proposal, not the current endpoint of that sequence.
Source: ASMFC Addendum XXXII, May 2025. Reviewed September 22, 2026.
Repeal did not eliminate size rules
Lobster fisheries still operate under area-specific rules. A minimum gauge measurement concerns the lobster’s carapace, not its retail weight in pounds. Buyers should not confuse the cancellation of a particular proposed increase with the removal of minimum sizes, maximum sizes, or other conservation requirements.
What this means for customers
When buying live lobster, choose the offered retail size for your meal and check the current product details. A legally measured lobster’s whole weight still includes its shell; neither a gauge size nor a whole weight is a direct statement of picked-meat yield.
Fishery rules are one factor affecting supply, alongside landings, demand, weather, and handling. A regulatory headline alone cannot predict the price or availability of a specific order of Maine lobster.
How to read future updates
Check the decision date, effective date, management area, and whether an announcement is a proposal or an adopted measure. For harvesting or compliance decisions, consult the operative rules for the area rather than relying on an older retail news article.
