Machias Savings Bank donates $250K to Maine Lobstermen’s Association

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Machias Savings Bank announced Wednesday they are donating $250,000 to the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.

The donation is for their Save Maine Lobstermen campaign.

They say it comes after a federal appeals court granted a motion to expedite the association’s appeal of a decision in their lawsuit against National Marine Fisheries Service.

They say the Maine Lobster Association wants to reverse what they call a “a scientifically flawed federal whale plan that will cripple Maine’s lobster industry and negatively impact the economy of Maine and our coastal communities.”

Machias Savings Bank President and CEO Larry Baker tells us the entire situation is frustrating especially when learning the facts about it.

He says it seems like a storm they shouldn’t have to weather when the industry has never been known to kill a single right whale.

“You actually get a little angry about it. You know the lobster industry has been a bright light for the state of Maine. It’s a billion-dollar industry. You know, many of our friends and neighbors work in this industry and certainly when you think about our coastal communities from Portland all the way to Calais, we envision a very significant impact, not only for those communities but for every business in Maine, either indirectly or directly,” said Barker.

Barker encourages others to support the lobster industry.

He says anyone can find ways to help and learn more at savemainelobstermen.org.