War of the Lobstermen

For years, one the iconic educational hallmarks of many North American aquariums has been Seafood Watch - the program pioneered by the Monterey Bay Aquarium which seeks to drive awareness about sustainable seafood choices.  It breaks down fish and aquatic invertebrates into categories based on whether or not they are environmentally sound options.  I don't eat an enormous variety of seafood, but what I do eat has largely been driven by that little card and its recommendations.

Over two years ago, the Aquarium announced that it was concerned that New England lobster fisheries were posing a threat to whales, which could get entangled and drown in their lines, and recommended folks stop supporting those fisheries until the concerns were addressed.  The impacted industry, to put it mildly, did not take that well.  There's been a brouhaha about it since then, which just came to head  - a US District Court judge in Maine has decided that yes, a coalition of lobster fishermen can sue Monterey Bay Aquarium for defamation, as their accusations have harmed their business.

Main lobster fishermen can sue environmental group for defamation, judge says

The outcome of this case could have a tremendous impact on seafood sustainability programs.  For one thing, I'll be fascinated to see what kind of impact MBA and Seafood Watch have had on lobster sales - can it be demonstrated that they actually drove down lobster consumption?  If they did not, then there is no case... but if they did, it would show that people really do listen to this campaign.  Also, for something to be defamation, it has to be demonstrated to be untrue - so, are we going to see evidence of what kind of impact lobster fisheries are having on whales?  If so, this could potentially backfire on the lobster industry, as it may force a spotlight on their practices and how whales are being impacted.

I'm not thrilled about this case - I don't like the idea of an industry trying to stifle real concerns about harmful practices by threatening lawsuits.  I think all of this time and energy and money would be better spent trying to find ways to make lobstering and whale conservation more compatible.  Still, I'm hoping that some good comes out of this case, such as an increased awareness of the lobster industry's impact on whales, or a new appreciation for the power of Seafood Watch.  

Because of the Aquarium loses, and any fishing industry learns that it can sue or browbeat its way off of the list, then there really won't be much of a future for Seafood Watch.