Why It Matters

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP signed a new client registration on October 2 for the New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association, listing the Marine/Maritime/Boating/Fisheries issue area. The group is a recent entrant to federal lobbying, with its earliest filing on record dating to September 2024. Red Door Consulting LLC filed a separate new client registration for the same group on September 2, and no termination for that firm appears in the data, suggesting Kelley Drye was added alongside Red Door rather than replacing it. ​

By the Numbers

The October 2 registration lists one issue area code: Marine/Maritime/Boating/Fisheries (MAR). The filing lists no legislation and the specific issues section was left blank. Prior disclosed spending totals $22,500 in the second quarter of 2024 and $7,500 in the third quarter of 2024, both through Vogel Group LLC. The Kelley Drye team consists of two lobbyists: Jayme White, whose covered position is Senior International Trade Adviser with experience on the Senate Finance Committee, and Dave Frulla, a Partner at the firm.

Broader Context

Proposed changes to lobster minimum-size rules were a documented issue for the New England fishing industry in 2024. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) considered increasing the minimum legal lobster size, but the stricter rules were scrapped after fishermen argued they would harm businesses. The 2026 registrations add trade as a lobbying issue alongside marine and fisheries matters. Reuters reported in June 2025 that the United States had imposed a 10% tariff on nearly all seafood, and that a United Nations trade agency assessed that tariffs would increase U.S. seafood prices.

Between The Lines

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC-1) posted on January 25, citing the New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association by name in support of the Protect American Fisheries Act, quoting CEO Jerry Leeman as saying the group "stands firmly behind" the bill and that it would help fishermen "combat the deleterious effects of foreign market manipulation and unfair competition."

Competitive Landscape

The American Petroleum Institute reported $2.78 million in its second-quarter 2026 filing, which included the MAR issue code among several others. Chevron USA Inc. reported $2.03 million in its third-quarter 2025 filing, also listing MAR among multiple issue areas. Both organizations are large energy-sector filers whose MAR designations appear alongside energy and fuel issue codes, with no fisheries-specific legislation in common with the New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association registration.

The Bottom Line

The New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association registered Red Door Consulting LLC on Sept. 2, and Kelley Drye & Warren LLP on Oct. 2.

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