Department of Commerce officials said Wednesday they will enter “bilateral negotiations” to reinstate funding for Maine Sea Grant, just days after the 50-year-old program was aburptly terminated by the Trump administration.

Advocates for Maine fishing industry said the reversal came after discussions between Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Administered through the University of Maine system, Sea Grant employs 20 specialists and stood to lose $4.5 million from the budget cut into 2028.

A curt Feb. 28 message from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the program’s works “are no longer relevant to the focus of the Administration’s priorities and program objectives.”

But now, “through these bilateral negotiations, the Department will ensure that the American people, including hardworking Mainers like lobstermen and fishermen, receive the benefit of the bargain consistent with the Administration’s priorities and continued relevance to program objectives,” according to a March 5 letter from Vice Adm. Nancy Hann, acting administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, released by Collins’ office.

The Fishing Communities Coalition promptly praised the Trump administration and Maine’s congressional delegation “for working together to restore support for this critical program.”

“Maine Sea Grant is a valuable pillar of Maine’s seafood economy,” said Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association. “We appreciate Sen. Susan Collins for working swiftly with the Trump administration as well as Sen. Angus King and Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden to reinstate federal funds for our hardworking industry partners and colleagues.”

Word of the Sea Grant cutoff landed with a shock in Maine’s fishing community on last day of the 50th annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport March 1. The apparent reversal was welcomed.

 “We are celebrating a win for our coastal communities and economies today, knowing that our partners at Sea Grant will be equipped to support so many of our seafood projects across the state, from biological research to workforce development strategies,” said Martens. “In 2023, Maine Sea Grant converted $1.5 million in federal funds to $23.5 million in economic benefit for the state’s seafood economy.”

Advocates say the Maine Sea Grant program “created or supported 332 local businesses and 565 jobs in the state,” during 2023. “Its staff also managed 12 industry innovation, research and program development grants to foster more resilient Maine communities and economies.”

The danger to Maine Sea Grant came two weeks after President Donald Trump threatened Gov. Janet Mills with a cutoff of aid to Maine over the state’s refusal to ban transgender athletes in school sports.