Maine lobstermen could receive millions in federal aid to help with the cost of modifying their gear to protect right whales.

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (D-2nd District) and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-1st District) secured $14 million to help lobstermen in the House Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill, they announced Friday.

Last summer, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced new regulations that require lobstermen to weaken the buoy lines they use to reduce the possibility of whale entanglement and to improve how gear is marked so they can identify the gear if a whale does become entangled.

“The right whale regulations are as economically damaging as they are misguided,” Golden said in a statement. “The least Congress can do is help ease the cost burden on lobstermen and this funding we secured will do just that.”

Pingree said the right whale regulations put in place by NOAA add to other burdens faced by lobstermen, including the pandemic, warming ocean waters and supply chain disruptions.

“I have opposed these regulations since they were announced, and since then have been pushing, alongside my Maine and New England colleagues, for federal support to help cover the costs incurred by lobstermen as a result of the misguided rule,” she said.

If it gets final approval, the funds would be provided to states through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and since Maine has the largest lobster fishery, most of the money will flow to Maine.