politicnewsbusterinsiderpostreview: Are you team lobster or team whale?

December 2, 2022

Hey guys! Jackie here, Mother Jones' science reporter!

The seafood world is clashing over lobster and whales. Here's the short version: In recent months, two major environmental groups have advised consumers to avoid eating Maine lobster due to the risk lobster fishing poses to the North Atlantic right whale, a critically endangered species. Lobster fishers and Maine lawmakers are not happy about it.

There are fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales believed to be left in the world, and the numbers are shrinking, mainly because of entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes. So, in September, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program "red-listed" several fisheries that rely on vertical fishing lines, including Atlantic lobster. And in mid-November, the Marine Stewardship Council said Maine lobster would lose its "sustainable" certification. Then, last week, Whole Foods announced it would temporarily stop selling lobster caught in the Gulf of Maine, following similar decisions from meal kit services HelloFresh and Blue Apron.

This prompted an unusually bipartisan response from Maine's lawmakers, who argue there is no proof their lobster fishers are responsible for right whale deaths.

So, which is it? As a pescatarian myself, I wondered, should I stop eating lobster or not? With my latest article, which you can read here, I untangle the science behind environmental groups' recommendations and Maine lawmakers' objections. Because—and I'll speak for myself here—if I'm going to give up lobster, you bet I'm going to research it first.

—Jackie Flynn Mogensen