Regulators formally delayed increasing the minimum size of lobsters harvested in the Gulf of Maine to July.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the regulatory body that oversees the fishing industry, voted Monday to delay the resolution by six months. The body signaled its intention to do so in August.

The changes were previously slated to take effect in January, but opponents have argued it would give Canadian lobstermen – unimpacted by the change, though they share the waters – an unfair advantage in the market. Lobstermen also have claimed the change could practically eliminate the harvest of some of the industry’s most popular lobster sizes.

Tina Berger, commission spokesperson, said it acted in response to those concerns and approved the delay “with the hopes that the Canadian and U.S. markets will come in line” by July.

The rule change would increase the minimum size of gauges lobstermen use to measure their catch and determine if they can harvest them by one-sixteenth of an inch, from 3 1/4 inches to 3 5/16 inches. It also would impact the size of vents in traps that allow undersized lobsters to escape.

Fishers use gauges to measure a lobster’s carapace, its body, to determine if it is large enough to harvest. Lobsters are measured from the rear of their eye sockets to the base of their tail.

The gulf has seen a decline in its lobster stock in recent years, following similar drops in the stocks in southern New England and throughout New York, Berger said.

“The board remains concerned about the sustainability of the resource, and is committed to ensuring that that fishery lasts for a long time,” she said by phone Monday evening.

The extra six months will give local lobstermen more time to purchase equipment necessary to adhere to the new rules, including new gauges and traps, Berger said.

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association said that while it still opposes the gauge increase, it was “nevertheless satisfied with the ASMFC’s vote,” in a statement posted on social media.

“We are hopeful that this will provide more time to address unintended consequences of an increase, specifically the fact that unless Canada also changes its gauge size, Canadian lobstermen will still be able to catch smaller lobster,” the association said in a statement Monday afternoon.

The association also said it supports a ban on the import of Canadian lobsters smaller than the new U.S. restriction. The fisheries commission recommended a ban on importing lobsters from Canada that are smaller than the minimum U.S. size in August.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, praised the commission’s decision to delay and vowed to continue opposing what he called “unfair, unnecessary regulations” that could impact local lobstermen’s ability to do business.

“Today’s decision to delay implementation is an important step forward,” Golden said in a statement Monday. “This new regulation was based on outdated data and would have benefitted Canadian lobstermen at Mainers’ expense.”