Maine Lobstermen's Association

What Maine Lobstermen's Association does

The Maine Lobstermen's Association (MLA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 1954 and headquartered at 2 Storer Street, Kennebunk, Maine. It is the oldest fishing industry organization on the East Coast and represents Maine's licensed commercial lobster harvesters — a fishery that contributes over $2 billion annually to the regional economy and directly supports more than 12,000 captain and sternman jobs across the supply chain. MLA's core function is regulatory advocacy and industry representation: it engages federal and state regulators, litigates against restrictive rulemakings, and runs conservation programs (notably v-notching) on behalf of its membership. Its most consequential recent actions include securing a 2023 U.S. Appeals Court ruling invalidating the NMFS Biological Opinion and pushing federal legislation that delayed new whale rules until 2029.

MLA operates as a membership-based advocacy body with no proprietary technology platforms. Its products are membership tiers (eight published price points from $55 for sternmen to $515 for business members), a co-published monthly newspaper (Landings, with the Maine Lobster Community Alliance), an exclusive V-Notch conservation tool, vessel insurance administered through a 35+ year partnership with Brown & Brown, a Jr. Harvesters youth program, and the Lobster Knowledge Trust data initiative (in partnership with the Lobster Institute and RODA's Fisheries Knowledge Trust). Branded merchandise ($15-$100) and donations to a Legal Defense Fund provide secondary revenue.

The organization's go-to-market is community-led: recruitment flows through fellow lobstermen, coastal business networks, the annual Maine Fishermen's Forum, and digital channels (Facebook, Instagram, weekly e-newsletter). It is governed by a President & Executive Director (Patrice McCarron) and an 18-member Board of Directors elected to three-year terms by the membership, with board representation spanning roughly 18 Maine lobster communities. Operating geography is exclusively New England / Maine, and the underlying customer base is structurally tied to the size and health of the Maine lobster fishery.

Name

Maine Lobstermen's Association

Legal name

Maine Lobstermen's Association

Website

https://mainelobstermen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Maine Lobstermen's Association (MLA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 1954 that represents Maine's commercial lobster harvesters, providing regulatory advocacy, legal defense, conservation programs, vessel insurance, and youth education across New England's lobster fishery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association / Fishing Advocacy

NAICS

Shellfish Fishing (114112), Fishing (11411)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Fishing industry advocacy
• Commercial lobster harvesting
• Membership trade association
• Marine regulatory representation
• Coastal fisheries community

Headquarters

HQ city

Kennebunk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: MLA generates revenue primarily through annual membership dues from commercial harvesters, sternmen, business members, municipal members, and lobster lover supporters. Individual memberships range from $55-$365/year, with business memberships at $515/year and municipal memberships at $500/year.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization operates an online shop selling branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, flags, and conservation tools (V-Notch Tool at $35). Products range from $15-$100.
3. Donations: MLA accepts tax-deductible donations (as a 501(c)(6) organization) to support their legal defense fund and advocacy work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Maine Lobstermen's Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association that advocates for the rights, sustainability, and economic interests of Maine's commercial lobster harvesters. Its core offering is tiered membership representation providing regulatory advocacy, legal defense, conservation program leadership (v-notching), and industry representation at management tables, supported by membership dues, merchandise sales, and donations.

Product overview

The Maine Lobstermen's Association operates as a membership-based advocacy organization rather than a technology company. Its core offerings include various membership tiers (Commercial Harvester at $310, Business Member at $515, and others ranging $55-$500) that provide advocacy representation, networking, and member benefits. The organization also offers a V-Notch Tool ($35) for lobster conservation, manages a Vessel Insurance Program through Brown & Brown for commercial lobster vessels, runs a Jr. Harvesters youth program, publishes the monthly Landings newspaper, operates the Lobster Knowledge Trust data initiative, and sells branded merchandise through its online shop. The organization does not offer technology products, APIs, or AI-powered services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Harvester Membership Annual membership tier for licensed commercial lobster harvesters at $310, including voting rights, free MLA swag, and sticker.
• Sternman Membership Annual membership at $55 for actively fishing sternmen (crew members aboard lobster vessels).
• Legacy Harvester Membership Annual membership at $105 for harvesters aged 65+, including voting rights.
• Young Harvester Membership Annual membership at $155 for harvesters aged 19-25, including voting rights.
• Lobster Lover Membership Annual membership at $210 for friends who are not licensed Maine lobstermen.
• Business Membership Annual business membership at $515 including website listing, social media promotion, MLA window sticker, monthly Landings listing, and weekly e-newsletter.
• Municipal Membership Annual municipal membership at $500 including monthly Landings listing and certificate of appreciation.
• Vessel Insurance Program Insurance program for commercial fishing and lobster vessels managed by Brown & Brown (formerly Smithwick & Mariners), offering coverage including wooden boat coverage, P&I for researchers and observers, pollution buy-back coverage, with no lay-up period required.
• V-Notch Tool A stainless steel tool for v-notching egg-bearing female lobsters, creating a precise 1/4-inch notch to mark them for protection from harvest. Sold as an MLA exclusive with custom packaging.
• MLA Branded Merchandise Branded apparel and accessories including t-shirts, hoodies, hats, tote bags, flags, jackets, and children's items sold through the MLA shop to support the organization.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% reduction in entanglement in lobster gear since 2010 through whale-safe gear innovations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association (NEFSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLA and NEFSA are working together launching a season-long campaign to promote v-notching, an industry-led conservation practice. NEFSA partnership strengthens the promotion of Maine's signature conservation method to protect breeding female lobsters and support a healthy, sustainable fishery.
• Maine Lobster Community Alliance (MLCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLA works with MLCA to publish and distribute the monthly lobster industry newspaper 'Landings' to all Maine lobstermen. MLCA published the 'Billion Egg Challenge' campaign in partnership with MLA to promote lobster conservation.
• Lobster InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lobster Knowledge Trust is an industry-owned organization formed through collaboration between MLA, the Lobster Institute, and the Fisheries Knowledge Trust (established by RODA). Aims to compile lobstermen's data and give industry control over resource data.
• Fisheries Knowledge Trust (RODA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRODA's Fisheries Knowledge Trust collaborated with MLA and Lobster Institute to form the Lobster Knowledge Trust, enabling fishermen to own and control data driving the management process.
• Brown & Brown Insurance (formerly Smithwick & Mariners Insurance)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrown & Brown manages the MLA Vessel Insurance Program, the first and only vessel insurance designed in collaboration with fishermen. Partnership has lasted more than 35 years, offering discounted vessel insurance for MLA members and additional 5% discount for Coast Guard Drill Conductor course graduates.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association: The Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association is the state-level trade association representing Massachusetts commercial lobstermen, making it the closest functional peer to MLA. It mirrors MLA's advocacy, conservation, and membership model for an adjacent New England lobster fishery with similar regulatory and whale-related threats.
• Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA): RODA is a fishing industry alliance that advocates on offshore wind and other federal regulatory issues affecting commercial fishermen along the U.S. East Coast. MLA is a confirmed RODA partner and they collaborate on the Lobster Knowledge Trust, making RODA a closely aligned peer organization.
• Maine Lobster Community Alliance (MLCA): MLCA is a confirmed MLA partner that co-publishes the monthly Landings newspaper and runs the Billion Egg Challenge conservation campaign. It focuses on community education and sustainability storytelling for the Maine lobster industry, serving an adjacent but complementary role to MLA's pure advocacy mission.
• New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association (NEFSA): NEFSA is a confirmed MLA partner and fellow New England fishing industry advocacy organization working alongside MLA on the v-notching promotion campaign. NEFSA's stewardship-focused mission overlaps MLA's conservation and regulatory advocacy, making it a directly comparable regional peer.
• Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC): MLMC is the Maine-state-funded marketing organization that promotes Maine lobster to domestic and international consumers. While MLA focuses on advocacy and MLMC on demand generation, both are industry-support organizations serving the same Maine lobster supply chain and overlapping member base.

Broad incumbents

• Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: ASMFC is the interstate compact that manages marine fisheries along the U.S. Atlantic coast, including lobster. While MLA lobbies before ASMFC, ASMFC itself is the broader governing body whose rules MLA seeks to influence, making it a comparable fisheries management organization rather than a direct industry peer.
• National Fisheries Institute: National Fisheries Institute is the largest U.S. trade association for the seafood industry, covering fishing, processing, distribution, and retail. It overlaps MLA's industry representation role but at the national level across all species, making it a broader incumbent rather than a direct lobster-fishery peer.

Regional players

• Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations: PCFA is a West Coast trade association representing commercial fishermen in California, Oregon, and Washington. It mirrors MLA's advocacy and cooperative structure for fishermen on the opposite coast, making it a functionally comparable but geographically distinct regional peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mainelobstermen
• Instagraminstagram.com/mainelobstermen
• Xx.com/mainelobstermen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maine-lobstermen-s-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maine Lobstermen's Association