American lobster may be a beloved delicious indulgence, but it’s no longer sustainable seafood, according to Seafood Watch, a group that monitors how fish and other seafood are harvested from the world’s oceans. Not an option, consumers should avoid eating it.
The organization made the announcement last week, motivated by concerns that the ropes used to fish for lobster and other seafood are often entangled with endangered North Atlantic right whales. Marine mammal populations have dwindled to a few hundred, Federal Wildlife Service Says We are facing the danger of extinction in the near future.
Seafood Watch, part of California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium, provides scientific guidance to businesses on the seafood they sell to customers, including formal partnerships with the country’s leading seafood buyers. The organization also provides seafood recommendations directly to consumers. Credit-card-sized seafood buying guides are placed next to packets of oyster crackers and stacks of wet wipes at seafood markets and restaurants across the country.
Seafood Watch offers not only American lobster, but several types of crab and fish, on the red list Because of the impact of this type of fishing on North Atlantic right whales.
The organization hopes to tell people to avoid American lobster. American lobsters are caught in Canada’s coastal province of Maine and other parts of the Northwest Atlantic to raise awareness about the condition of right whales and put pressure on fisheries managers and legislators to protect them more. mammals.
Mark Baumgartner, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts who studies North Atlantic right whales but is not involved in Seafood Watch, said: “I think the more people know about the plight of right whales and the role rope fishing plays in it, the more demand there will be for solutions.”
lobster fisherman and his allies of meeting It said Seafood Watch’s decision was unfair given the industry’s consistent adherence to state and federal laws aimed at protecting whales. It is unclear whether Seafood Watch’s actions will have the intended effect, as major American lobster distributors and distributors may be hesitant to stop selling their beloved seafood.
There are several types of lobster, including clawless spiny lobster and blue European lobster, but American lobster is the most popular among consumers.Along the east coast of the United States and Canada, men and women have caught large clawed crustaceans Much the same way since the 1800s.
The majority of commercial lobster fishermen still use pots known as traps to catch their catch. Fill the pot with bait and lower it to the bottom of the sea to soak it in water. To facilitate pot retrieval, the pot is connected by a vertical line of rope to a floating buoy.
Whales easily get entangled in these ropes and cannot rise to the surface to breathe or dive deep to find food. Entangled whales don’t drown or starve right away and can drag on their gear for years, causing deep lacerations and robbing them of the energy used to reproduce and grow.
Amy Knowlton, senior scientist at the New England Aquarium, said right whales are often under a great deal of stress, seeing them frantically thumping and trying desperately to shake gear off their bodies. is a heartbreaking sight. almost 40 years.
Scientists estimate that there are fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales alive today, of which fewer than 100 are breeding females. “Tangles are now the leading cause of serious injuries and deaths in this endangered species,” Knowlton said.
Scientists with the National Marine Fisheries Service believe that North Atlantic right whale populations need to: The average number of whales killed by human activity should be less than one per year.
In 2021, the Fisheries Agency will establish a new rule To catch American lobster in U.S. waters, with the goal of reducing the number of vertical lines in North Atlantic right whale habitat and weakening the lines used so that entangled whales can break free more easily. The store has also implemented two new seasonal fishing ground closures.
seafood watch Other marine conservation groups said the new regulations were a step in the right direction, but not enough to help whales recover.
Sam Wilding, Fisheries Program Manager at Seafood Watch, who has been involved in developing the new ratings, said: “5.7 of them are from fishing entanglements and his remaining two are from vessel collisions.”
Wilding acknowledged that state and federal fisheries managers and industry leaders have been working on the issue for more than 20 years. But those efforts weren’t enough to save the whale. “The rate of impact from fishing is much higher than originally expected,” he said.
Wilding said the North Atlantic right whale needs to take drastic measures to avoid extinction. But seafood industry workers think Seafood Watch’s urging consumers to avoid American lobster goes too far.
“The way we manage our fishery has always been one of the best.”
“No fisherman in Maine wants to harm a whale,” said Steve Train, a Maine-based commercial fisherman who has been catching lobsters for over 40 years.
Because the majority of American lobster fishermen follow regulations set by fisheries managers and federal agencies, Porter said he and his fellow fishermen should not be penalized by the decline of North Atlantic right whales. says.
One proposed solution to this problem is a move to ropeless gear used in Australia and tested in American fisheries. It works like a traditional crab or lobster pot, but can be brought to the surface using a remote control float, no rope required.
“This will allow fishermen to easily fish around right whales without risking their lives,” says Caroline Goode, a large-scale whale ecologist at the National Marine Fisheries Service. says.
However, such tools are not yet widely available, and ropeless traps can cost $2,000 to $4,000 each, while traditional lobster traps cost between $50 and $180. Earlier this year, Democrats in Congress said Specification That would result in millions of dollars being spent developing and testing ropeless equipment and other technologies that could potentially protect North Atlantic right whales.haven’t voted yet
Until the U.S. lobster fishery can reduce its impact on right whales, Seafood Watch recommends lobster enthusiasts to choose only spiny lobster caught in Florida or California.
However, it remains unclear whether that advice will be heeded. Whole Foods Market spokesperson, Partnered with Seafood Watch in 2010said it had no plans to halt the sale of lobster in the United States, but the company was “monitoring the situation closely” and said, “As the situation develops, we will continue to work with our suppliers, local fishermen and fisheries, fisheries managers, and environmental advocates. We are committed to working with the organization.”
Experts concerned about whales hope industry and political leaders will see opportunities beyond immediate criticism of Seafood Watch’s decisions.
Dr. Baumgartner of Woods Hole said fisheries and the U.S. and Canadian governments need to rapidly develop solutions that preserve fishing opportunities and protect whales.
“It seems like a no-brainer to me to put all the resources we can into this,” he said.