Boston.com: Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, and Seth Moulton are very happy that Europe won’t ban our lobsters

October 17th, 2016

By: Nik DeCosta-Klipa

The European Union won’t ban our lobsters after all.

And the Massachusetts congressional delegation, which was previously concerned for its local lobsterers, is pretty psyched about the decision.

“The EU made the right call by rejecting the proposed ban on American lobster imports, which was not based in sound science,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a statement Monday. “This decision is good news for the hardworking men and women in Massachusetts’ lobster industry.”

In September, the European Union’s Scientific Forum had moved forward with a proposal by Sweden to declare the American lobster an invasive species, effectively banning the animal and killing off $200 million in transatlantic imports, including roughly $125 million from Massachusetts.

But as the Financial Times reported Friday, the EU—under pressure from local restaurateurs, as well as the United States—decided not to go forward with the proposal.

“The European Commission’s decision is great news for Massachusetts,” Rep. Seth Moulton, who led a strongly worded letter last month decrying Sweden’s proposal, said Monday. “As we’ve said for months, a ban on American lobster is not supported by science and would have been damaging to our entire economy.”

Sen. Ed Markey added that he hoped they could find a way to address Sweden’s concerns, “while still allowing Europeans to enjoy the deliciousness of American lobster.”

“I am pleased to see that the EU has determined that an outright ban on American lobster is not an appropriate solution,” Markey said. “From boat deck to table top, American lobster benefits fishermen and foodies alike.”

Article here.