AUGUSTA — Members of the Legislature's Marine Resources Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to table a measure to reorganize and fund a group that would market and promote Maine lobster.

Lawmakers want more information about who in the industry will bear the brunt of funding for the Maine Lobster Promotion Council. The cost is to be divvied up among various interest groups -- from lobstermen who harvest the catch to those who sell, transport or process it.

The bill, L.D. 486, is designed to enhance the standing of Maine lobster. Its explicit goal is to increase the profitability of the lobster industry across the board, particularly for harvesters -- a result not everyone is convinced can be achieved by marketing, some legislators said in the work session.

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