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.