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New England Officials Dispute Proposed EU Lobster Ban

MPBN
Caught lobsters off the coast of Maine
The invasive label would effectively bar imports throughout the European Union.

With struggling fisheries in Connecticut facing warmer waters and competition with other states, across the pond a potential U.S. lobster ban could add additional complications for New England.

The Swedish government has requested that the species Homarus americanus (the American lobster) be listed as invasive. Over the last eight years, 32 lobsters have been found in Swedish waters. Some say the crustaceans pose a threat to the smaller European lobster. The invasive label would effectively bar imports throughout the European Union. Government organizations and fisheries alike are fighting back.

David Simpson, director of marine fisheries at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said it will likely effect Connecticut lobster companies as well. Simpson also questioned the motives of the bans because of the low number of American lobsters found abroad.

“This clearly seems economically motivated, which is a shame,” Simpson said. “They’re using the guy from their environmental protection for economic protection.”   

Credit Tatiana Vdb / Creative Commons
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Creative Commons

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King of Maine, and Maine Representatives ChelliePingree and Bruce Poliquin most recently appealed to the EU. In a letter, they said there were not enough American lobsters to pose a significant threat, citing a risk assessment conducted by the U.S. and Canada.

“We represent parts of coastal New England, a region with strong cultural and economic ties to the American lobster,” the letter said. “In this case, the existing evidence does not support the listing of the American lobster as an invasive alien species.”

The study showed that shell diseases — Swedish officials' biggest concern — was no more common in American lobsters than in European ones. It also said that because the American lobsters were only discovered in small numbers in each location they were found, they were not likely to reproduce, and would therefore cause minimal damage.

A different study in Europe, conducted by the non-native species secretariat, said that it is not possible to assess the risk based on the number of lobsters seen, as the actual number is likely higher.

Lobster traps at the Stonington Lobster Co-Op in Maine
Credit WBUR
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WBUR
Lobster traps at the Stonington Lobster Co-Op in Maine

“It does not appear that Homarus americanus has become established in Great Britain waters, although numbers are likely to be highly under-reported,” the study said. “It is often the case, however, that there is a substantial time-lag between initial introduction and the establishment of a species.”

The study also reported hybridization with the smaller European lobsters, resulting in fertile females and infertile males.

The U.S. and Canada export over $200 million worth of lobster to Europe annually.

The U.S. study asserted that female European lobsters would self-select to mate with other European lobsters — and because of the significantly smaller American lobster population, the remaining American lobsters would likely intersperse with the natives rather than breeding and overwhelming the existing population. 

Another letter written by Tom Rosser, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Eileen Sobeck, Assistant Administrator at National Marine Fisheries Services, noted the economic cost to the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The two countries export over $200 million worth of lobster to Europe annually.

“From a European perspective, live lobster from North American generates investments, employment, and economic returns for the EU,” the letter said.

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute predicts lobster season to begin early this summer in Maine due to warmer weather, which will likely cause prices to drop.  

This report includes information from the Associated Press. 

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