June 27, 2016 — As if the European Union doesn’t have enough trouble with Britain pulling the big vamoose Thursday. It still has the whole issue of American lobsters to resolve.
An EU scientific forum has given Sweden until July 31 to respond to the avalanche of U.S. and Canadian diplomatic, scientific and commercial opposition to the Swedish-led proposal to label the American lobster an invasive alien species and ban its import by the EU.
The action by the EU scientific forum, announced in a statement from the Maine congressional delegation, gives Sweden’s scientists until the end of the month to reinforce or expand their scientific basis for the American lobsters as an invasive species posing a threat to the indigenous European lobster population.
According to the office of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, an EU official told the Maine delegation that “the feedback provided by Canada and the U.S. provided new elements, some of which were not yet considered in the (Swedish) risk assessment” and that led to the forum’s request that Sweden “update the risk assessment taking into account these elements as appropriate.”
Combined, the U.S (about $160 million) and Canada (about $75 million) ship about $235 million worth of live lobsters to the EU, which sits at 27 members with Britain’s departure.
“We’re very happy with the EU scientific forum’s ruling,” said Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association. “We’ve had discussions with everyone from Secretary of State (John) Kerry’s office to our state and local officials and everyone has been unbelievably supportive. Now we’re in sort of a holding pattern, waiting to see what Sweden does.”