Saving Seafood

Sweden’s proposed ban on American lobsters clears first hurdle

September 7, 2016 — The scientific arm of the European Union says there is enough evidence to move forward with a review of Sweden’s request to declare the American lobster an invasive species.

America and Canada contend Sweden’s bid to protect the European lobster from its larger American cousin, which has been found in small numbers in North Atlantic waters, lacks any scientific evidence of a pending invasion, and had hoped to squelch the proposal this summer.

But on Tuesday, the Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species, which is made up of experts appointed by each EU member state, confirmed the validity of Sweden’s scientific risk assessment, setting in motion a broader review that could lead to the ban of live imports into the 28-nation coalition.

An EU spokeswoman said the opinion is a first step in a long process that would not reach a conclusion until the spring, at the earliest. It will be reviewed and possibly considered for a vote by the Alien Species Committee. If approved, the motion would go to the full European Union Commission for a final vote.

“This does not prejudge in any way the decision on whether the commission will propose the lobster for listing,” said Iris Petsa. “This is a preliminary opinion on a purely scientific risk assessment and not a decision as to whether to ban the species.”

Lobstermen in the U.S. and Canada stand to lose $200 million in business with EU countries if the ban becomes a reality. In its additional review, the European Union Commission will consider the implications for international trade, as well as alternative means to protect Europe’s native lobster, Petsa said.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

Europe studies claims of American ‘invaders.’ They are clawed and delicious.

September 7, 2016 — Today’s special: American lobster in European hot water.

The European Union’s Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species announced Tuesday that there was sufficient scientific evidence to push ahead with a review of Sweden’s request to declare the American lobster an invasive species that threatens native lobsters and other marine life.

It could mean a ban on the clawed cousins from across the pond.

Now, before European foodies go off the deep end, the whole spat is based on only a handful of American lobsters found in Swedish waters. And any final decision — not expected before April — will take into account potential fallout on international trade. That includes weighing the risks of possible retaliatory bans against Europe by the United States and Canada, which stand to lose a lobster market valued at up to $200 million by some estimates.

Overall, it is little more than a side dish compared with other transatlantic trade issues, such as last week’s E.U. order for Ireland to recover up to $14.5 billion in taxes from tech giant Apple. But out in places like the Gulf of Maine or the coast of Nova Scotia, the lobster showdown is a very big deal.

“Is this really about invasion of a species or invasion of [an] economy?” said Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association.

Read the full story at The Washington Post

EU reaches agreement on deep-sea fisheries

July 5, 2016 — A consensus has been reached by the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission regarding how to best protect deep-sea fish, sponges and corals while also preserving the viability of the European fishing industry.

This latest agreement updates the previous EU rules placed upon deep-sea fisheries – which were last amended back in 2003 – bringing them up to par with the sustainability goals laid out in the reformed Common Fisheries Policy.

“I am glad that an agreement was reached today. As Commissioner in charge of both fisheries and the protection of the environment, I believe that we have achieved a balanced compromise that will protect our deep-sea environment and deep-sea fish stocks while finally putting an end to the uncertainty faced by European fishermen looking to run a successful and sustainable business,” said EU Commissioner Karmenu Vella in a prepared statement.

Among the provisions applied in the agreed upon text stipulates that fishers may only target deep-sea fish in areas where they have fished in the past (their so-called ‘fishing footprint’), thereby ensuring that pristine environments remain untouched. Moreover, trawls below 800 meters will be banned completely in EU waters, and areas with vulnerable marine environments (VMEs) will be closed to bottom fishing below 400 meters, according to the EU; to further protect VMEs, fishers will also have to report how many deep-sea sponges or corals they catch and move on to other fishing grounds in case a certain maximum amount has been reached.

Organizations such as Europêche have come forward criticising the ban on 800 meter trawls, arguing that the measure lacks scientific basis.

“According to Europeche the ban, agreed yesterday by Parliament, the Council and the European Commission is arbitrary and only responds to political interests and not to real environmental threats. The ban is included in the regulation of deep-sea fisheries agreed upon yesterday,” said the group in a statement.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

New England Officials Dispute Proposed EU Lobster Ban

June 27, 2016 — 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.”

Read the full story at WNPR

European Union agrees on Mediterranean stock recovery strategy

June 9, 2016 — The 40th annual session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) drew to a successful close with agreement on a raft of measures aimed at reversing the worrying trend of declining fish stocks in the region.

Decisions taken at the meeting in Malta are in line with the European Commission’s (EC’s) strategy to improve the state of the Mediterranean fish stocks and the economic prospects of the fishing industry.

EU Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella expressed his deep satisfaction with the outcome, which “ushers in a new era of action to help fish stocks recover and fishing communities thrive.”

He said, “This year’s GFCM annual session was a truly historic meeting. After the troubling diagnosis concerning the future of Mediterranean fish stocks and the fishing economy, we now started to take corrective action. I am convinced that the steps agreed will usher in a new era of action that will help fish stocks recover and fishing communities thrive. The progress made at GFCM was a significant boost to the European Commission’s #MedFish4Ever campaign.”

Read the full story at SeafoodSource.com

The Future of Seafood Security: The Fight Against Illegal Fishing and Seafood Fraud

June 8, 2016 — In December 2006, the U.S. Congress passed a comprehensive reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which governs America’s fisheries. In the decade since, this law has been lauded around the globe as a model for both ending overfishing and allowing science to drive management of the world’s last major commercial hunting industry. As a result, regulators are required to set catch limits at the most sustainable levels possible. It has been so effective that the European Union used it as a model for revising its comparable law, the Common Fisheries Policy, in 2014. The upshot of the 2006 Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization is that overfishing has effectively been ended in U.S. waters. And yet, despite this fact, Americans are still consuming millions of tons of unsustainably caught seafood every year.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, more than 90 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported. This means it is harvested, farmed, or processed in nations that, in almost all cases, lack the high standards that the United States has mandated for domestic producers. Making matters more difficult, it is exceedingly hard for buyers who seek sustainable seafood to identify its provenance with any degree of confidence; mislabeling—either accidental or purposeful—is rampant. So the combination in many countries of low enforcement capacity on the water and in processing facilities and substantial short-term economic incentives for unscrupulous fishermen and dealers means that those who would seek to exploit or circumvent national and international standards and regulations have all but unlimited capacity to do so.

Therefore, while American fisheries approach the 10th anniversary of the enactment of some of the world’s strongest seafood sustainability standards, much work remains in the fight to maintain global fish populations, the industry that relies on them, and, ultimately, the primary source of protein for more than one billion people worldwide. President Barack Obama’s administration, with assistance from leaders in Congress, has begun to take significant steps toward addressing the two-track problems of combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activity—also known as IUU fishing—and enhancing the traceability of seafood in order to combat trade in fraudulent fish. NOAA recently ended the public comment period on a new proposed rule that would boost efforts on both fronts, and last fall, the U.S. Senate acted to ratify a treaty requiring countries where fishermen land their products—known as port states—to take additional measures to block vessels engaged in illegal fishing activity from entering their harbors.

Read the full story at the Center for American Progress

NOAA, Canadians fight Swedish lobster ban

June 7, 2016 — NOAA and its Canadian counterpart are ramping up opposition to a Swedish-led proposal to ban the import of American lobsters into the European Union, saying the Swedish risk assessment falls far short of the necessary scientific standards to support the ban.

Sweden, concerned about the appearance of fewer than 100 American lobsters in its waters during the past decade, performed a risk assessment it said reflects the potential for the species Homarus americanus to become an invasive alien species capable of overwhelming Europe’s indigenous lobster population.

“Among other claims, the Swedish risk assessment finds that there is a high risk of Homarus americanus successfully reproducing and overpowering the native Homarus gammarus in EU waters, with a major/massive ecological and economic impact,” Eileen Sobeck, assistant administrator for fisheries for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, wrote in a letter to Daniel Calleja Crespo of the European Commission. “Our initial findings suggest that these conclusions are not supported by the best available science.”

Sobeck went on to say “there is no evidence of successful life cycle completion or establishment” of the American lobster population in Swedish waters or corresponding “negative impacts to biodiversity or related ecosystems when introduced (deliberately or otherwise) outside of its native range in western North Atlantic waters.”

The cooperative U.S.-Canadian effort has both economic and political motivations.

Its overarching motivation is to protect the North American lobster exporting industry, in which Canada and the United States collectively ship more than $200 million worth of live lobsters to the EU each year.

Read the full story from the Gloucester Times

Marauding American Lobsters Find Themselves in Hot Water

May 6, 2016 — The male American lobster is clawing his way toward hegemony. Scientists say his unusually large crusher claw compared with other species can be irresistible to female lobsters and menacing to less-endowed males.

This means war—or at least a trans-Atlantic trade war.

Claw size is at the center of a push by Sweden to ban imports of live Homarus americanus to all European Union countries. The effort began with the release of an 89-page report in December by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, featuring a full-color, half-page photo of an American lobster and 13 instances of the words “invasive alien species.”

“Once the American lobster is established, it will be impossible to eradicate,” says Gunvor Ericson, state secretary at the Swedish ministry for climate and the environment. The report contends that American lobsters have the potential to spread diseases to Europe’s smaller, native Homarus gammarus.

Sweden says big-clawed Americans could spawn a new generation of hybrids and eventually crowd out European lobsters. The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, is expected to start deliberating the import-ban proposal in June.

Read the full story at The Wall Street Journal

Sweden, fearing a flood of Maine lobster, goes on the offensive

May 6, 2016 — Peace-loving Sweden, a country that remained neutral through World War II and brought Volvos and Ikea meatballs to the masses, has launched a bitter attack on New England’s lobster industry.

Swedish government officials have proposed banning the sale of live US lobsters in the European Union and designating them as an invasive alien species, citing concerns about diseases that US experts contend are rare.

The simmering dispute prompted a New England congressional delegation to appeal to the Obama administration to intervene.

Just how similar are the two crustaceans on two continents? For those who have never even heard of Swedish lobster, or enjoyed a warm bowl of signature hummersoppa, it may hard to imagine.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe

Reps. Moulton, Keating, Lynch Lead Delegation to Protect Massachusetts Lobster Industry

May 2, 2016 — The following was released by the office of Congressman Seth Moulton:

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressmen Seth Moulton (D-MA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), and Bill Keating (D-MA) led an effort to protect the Massachusetts lobster industry in response to the Swedish government’s petition to classify the American lobster as an invasive species. The petition ultimately seeks to ban the import of live American lobsters from the United States to the European Union (EU).

Moulton, Keating, and Lynch were joined by the entire state delegation in sending a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, Ambassador Michael Froman, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrator, Kathryn Sullivan. The letter notes that the EU’s alien species regulations must offer robust scientific evidence in support of any species ban, and argues that this is not the case for the American lobster. The letter can be viewed here.

“The Sixth District is home to the largest and most active lobster fleet in Massachusetts, and the lobster industry is a critical part of our history and local economy,” said Congressman Seth Moulton. “This effort to ban U.S. exports of American lobster is not based in science. In fact, studies conducted by leading marine scientists refute Sweden’s assertions that American lobster meet the criteria to be banned by the European Union. This ban would not only have a detrimental impact on the livelihoods of hardworking men and women in the lobster industry, but it would also hurt the entire Massachusetts economy. I’m grateful that our entire delegation stands united to ensure our lobster industry continues to thrive, and I am committed to working with my colleagues in Congress and the Administration to advance a collaborative and transparent dialogue on this issue.”

“The lobster industry is as important to our local economy as it is to our history,” said Congressman Bill Keating, who represents Massachusetts’s South Shore, South Coast, and Cape and Islands. “I will continue working with my Massachusetts colleagues to oppose efforts to list the North American lobster as an invasive species, including by working directly with our European counterparts in my role as Ranking Member of the Trade Subcommittee on the Foreign Affairs Committee.”

“I respect Sweden’s commitment to protecting the environment from invasive species, but their proposal to halt imports of North American lobsters is not based on sound scientific reasoning,” said Congressman Stephen F. Lynch. “The evidence they have presented is inconsistent with E.U. standards and I hope the State Department, the United States Trade Representative, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will continue to work together to advocate for the continued trade of live American lobsters with the E.U. A ban could have serious effects on our hardworking Massachusetts lobstermen and their families.”

“From the decks of Massachusetts lobster boats to the plates of European diners, we need to ensure American lobster continues to benefit families and businesses on both side of the Atlantic,” said Senator Edward J. Markey. “The current effort by Swedish authorities to reclassify American lobsters an invasive species and ban their importation into the European Union would undermine a centuries-old relationship and have enormously negative impacts on the Massachusetts lobster industry. Any decision by the EU Commission on the American lobster should be informed by scientific principles and current standards. American lobster is one of our most delectable exports, and we should ensure that Europeans can continue to enjoy it for years to come.”

“Lobsters are a big part of the Massachusetts economy, and I’m very concerned about any attempt to block imports of American lobsters. A ban on live lobster imports is not in line with the EU’s standards or with the research conducted by New England’s leading marine scientists on how best to protect the environment,” Senator Elizabeth Warren said. “I’ll keep working with the congressional delegation to support our local lobstermen and to keep the markets open for Massachusetts’ lobsters.”

“The European Union markets are extremely important to our commercial Lobstermen here in the Commonwealth,” said Beth Casoni, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association. “We are appreciative and encouraged by the efforts being put forth by Congressmen Moulton, Keating, Lynch, and the entire Massachusetts Delegation to bring a resolve to this matter.”