Tag Archives: American lobsters
Sweden not giving up fight over lobster import ban
Sweden isn’t giving up on a long-running battle with the U.S. and Canada over lobsters that have turned up in Swedish waters. Officials with Sweden told The Associated Press that their country is working on a new proposal about how to deal with American lobsters that have turned up. A controversy about whether American lobsters are invasive in Swedish waters has simmered for almost a year. Sweden had wanted the European Union to consider a ban of imports of American lobsters. That call came after Sweden announced it had found 32 American lobsters in its waters. European Union officials turned away that request in October after American and Canadian scientists and politicians raised concerns about a lack of evidence that the lobsters warranted such a sweeping ban. But Swedish officials told the AP that the country remains concerned that American lobsters could interfere with European lobsters, which have economic value. Read the story here 15:09
North American-wide lobby fighting to save live lobster exports to Europe
Groups lobbying to protect North America’s live lobster shipments to Europe have been having weekly phone calls and strategy sessions, says the Lobster Council of Canada. “We have been advocating with governments. We’ve been encouraging Canadian exporters to advocate with their national governments,” said executive director Geoff Irvine. The groups include federal and provincial officials and key lobster industry players from the United States and Canada. Five months ago, Sweden called for a ban on all live lobster imports from North America after 32 American lobsters were captured in Swedish waters between 2008 and 2015. Irvine said there are several theories as to how they got there. The argues the American lobsters pose a risk as an invasive species, so as a precautionary measure it’s calling for the ban, but Irvine said science doesn’t back that up. Read the story here 09:48
Scientists skeptical over proposed EU ban for North American lobsters
North American scientists are refuting Sweden’s claim that an all-out trade ban is needed to head off an invasion of eastern North American lobsters, a move that would rob the Canadian industry of a multi-million dollar market. Last week, petitioned the European Union to list the American lobster as a foreign species, which would prohibit U.S. and Canadian imports of live lobsters to its 28 member states. The move would pose a major threat to Canada’s East Coast fishery which imported about $75 million in live lobster to European markets last year, a figure that the Lobster Council of Canada says accounts for about 10 per cent of live exports. Read the rest here 16:26
