Leaders from the U.S. and Canada’s lobster fishing communities came together in Bar Harbor Wednesday to tackle what they said are pressing issues facing the industry.

At the top of mind at this year’s 21st annual meeting was the potential impact of President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs on Canadian products.

“These tariffs, if they actually happen, will badly impact Maine harvesters and the Maine lobster sector — just as it will impact Canadians,” said Geoff Irvine, the executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada.

Solving this issue could mean lobbying U.S. political figures, Irvine said.

The roster of fishermen, fishery managers, scientists and regulators also touched on climate change and the federal proposal to increase the minimum catch size limits for lobsters, which Maine recently rejected.

Speakers at the event said it's not yet clear how the industry can fight all of these problems at once, but it’s important for the countries to continue to meet and share ideas to help find solutions.

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