The Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association (AOLA) is a New England-based fishing industry trade association representing offshore lobster and crab trap vessel owners operating in the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and southern New England. Founded in the early 1970s and reorganized in 1992, AOLA advocates for the conservation, preservation, and sustainability of the offshore lobster resource while promoting the economic viability of its member vessels and associated businesses.
Federal and state fisheries management, offshore lobster conservation measures, trap and gear regulations, marine habitat protection, marine monument and ocean use designations, right whale risk reduction rules, environmental permitting, and policies affecting offshore wind, aquaculture, and other ocean development activities.
Primarily funded through membership dues paid by vessel owners, with additional contributions from associate members and grants.
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission; NOAA Fisheries advisory bodies including the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team; regional lobstermen’s associations in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island; Hank Soule (Deputy Director).
Non-profit trade association
