Lobster gets downgraded on the Seafood Watch list
Welcome to First Bite, a Nation’s Restaurant News podcast, your daily source of news from NRN hosted by Holly Petre.
Today, we’re talking about lobster getting downgraded to “red” on the Seafood Watch list.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, whose Seafood Watch list of fish and shellfish to consume or avoid based on their environmental impact is widely regarded as the industry standard, on Tuesday moved American lobster from the North Atlantic onto its “red” list of species to avoid due to concerns over fishing practices that it said could harm the endangered North Atlantic right whale and other species. Previously the crustacean had been listed as “yellow,” or a good alternative, from most fisheries. The best choices according to Seafood Watch are listed as “green.”
The southern New England fishery had already been deemed “red” due to right whale endangerment and concerns over the possible effects of large-scale lobster fishing in the area, which it said was “likely underestimated,” but the new list now recommends avoiding American lobster from all of Canada and the Northeastern United States, wrote Bret Thorn for nrn.com.
Now, hear what he has to say about the future of lobster on menus.
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