Will Monterey Bay Aquarium Feel the Pinch?

I've always felt that zoos and aquariums have a role to play in advocacy, giving voice to wildlife and wild habitats in order to promote the conservation of species.   The problem with advocacy, however, is that it seldom fails to tick someone off.  Consider the current adventures of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  One of the Aquarium's most famous conservation initiatives is its Seafood Watch, which seeks to encourage visitors to make sustainable seafood purchasing decisions while avoiding less environmentally-friendly options.  Right now, the dish in the crosshairs is one of the most popular delicacies on the seafood market, the American lobster.

Monterey Bay's beef with lobster isn't the crustacean itself.  It's that the fishing practices used to catch lobster are imperiling right whales, which can become entangled in the traps.  Of course, suggesting (and at the end of the day, the Aquarium as no regulatory power, so it is just a suggestion) that people don't buy lobster means less income for lobstermen... which if you were an elected representative from, oh, let's say... Maine... is something that your constituents will not be happy about.  Go figure.

Congressman looks to claw back Monterey Bay Aquarium funding

In revenge, a consortium of Maine elected officials have called for a ban on federal dollars going to Monterey Bay Aquarium.  Simply put (and I say this as someone who loves lobster), I think their wrong.  Using purse strings to stifle legitimate conservation concerns by a nonprofit is not the action of an open society in which data and facts drive decisions.  I have no idea how far the motion will go - it might just be putting on a show.  Still, it does represent the potential dangers and challenges that zoos and aquariums face when they try to speak truth to power.  Sometimes, power speaks back.  Loudly.