Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher will retire next month as the longest-serving person to ever lead the agency.

Governor Janet Mills announced Tuesday that Keliher will step down on March  14th, after holding the position since 2012.

The announcement comes about a month after Keliher cursed at lobstermen during a public meeting over a proposal to increase the size of lobster caught in Maine,

That proposal has since been dropped.

Keliher was originally appointed to be Marine Resources Commissioner by Governor Paul LePage, and was re-appointed by Governor Mills in 2019.

Mills praised Keliher for protecting Maine’s marine resources and environment, and for supporting the state’s marine industries.

“Commissioner Keliher — Pat — has served this Administration and the people of Maine with great distinction. Under his leadership, he tackled many significant challenges to Maine’s commercial fisheries and marine industries, while leading an agency that served its many communities and constituencies with honesty and respect,” said Governor Mills. “Maine’s commercial fisheries and seafood industries, our marine environment, our working waterfronts, and our coastal communities are better today because of Pat’s relentless advocacy for Maine.