On Monday, a group of lobster fishing businesses and industry groups from Maine filed a lawsuit against an environmental agency that they say defamed them.
According to the lawsuit, led by the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation has made defamatory statements about the fishing practices of Maine lobstermen. The fishermen say that the statements have misled consumers and commercial lobster buyers about how they harvest the fish, resulting in many choosing not to do business with them.
The environmental group, based in California, is known for handing out “sustainability” ratings and making recommendations for where everyday consumers and major seafood sellers should make their purchases, The Washington Post reported.
In a rating given last year, Main lobster dropped from the “good alternative” category to “avoid,” as the group said that fishermen in the state posed a threat to North Atlantic right whales — an endangered species.
However, the fishermen argue that there was no basis for them falling into the red in the group’s sustainability ratings, saying they pose no risk.
In an interview with Fox News, the lawyer representing fishermen, Kevin Lipson, said they claimed to make the decision based on an analysis that had “scientific data and a rigorous and transparent science-based process.”
“There is no science-based analysis that supports the red listing, and the impact is really dramatic, not only on the 5,000 fishing families that earn a living from lobstering, but it has a reverberating effect throughout the economy of Maine,” Lipson told Fox News, adding that the facts are actually “just the opposite” of what the group claims.
“The facts are that Maine lobster fishing practices have actually contributed to the sustainability not only of the lobster fishery, but of North Atlantic right whales,” he said.
Lipson claims that the effects of the rating have rippled throughout the Maine economy, affecting more than just fishermen but also tourism, real estate, and more.
The coalition attempted to reach out to the environmental group twice, according to Lipson, as they wanted to know what data showed they were threatening the mammals. However, after being ignored twice, they decided to move forward with the lawsuit.
“The truth is that Maine lobstermen have engaged in innovative practices that have actually contributed to the survivability of the right whale,” Lipson said.
A spokesperson for the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation told Fox News that there was no merit in the lawsuit, saying their evidence shows the fishermen pose a risk to right whales.
“These meritless lawsuits ignore the extensive evidence that these fisheries pose a serious risk to the survival of the endangered North Atlantic right whale, and they seek to curtail the First Amendment rights of a beloved institution that educates the public about the importance of a healthy ocean,” the spokesperson said.
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