GREEN LOBSTER FOR SALE

Few food products are as well “branded” as the Maine lobster. It’s so well branded, in fact, that disreputable retailers in other parts of the country have tried to sell shellfish that don’t even remotely resemble the state’s iconic seafood under the Maine lobster label. Fortunately, consumers who have had the real thing aren’t fooled.

A proposal that would tweak that branding for 21st century consumer tastes, targeting the increasing demand for green, or sustainable, fish is a promising development. Maine lobster distributors are hoping to win the favor of the Marine Stewardship Council, a London-based organization that has been encouraging responsible fishing since 1997. If it wins the approval of the council, Maine lobster would be sold under the organization’s blue “ecolabel,” a seal that tells consumers the shellfish was harvested in a manner that ensures the survival of the species, and that catching the lobster was not harmful to the ocean.

Several U.S. chain food stores, including Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, Target and Costco, plan to phase in carrying only MSC-certified seafood, so by not going green, Maine lobster could be on the outside looking in at a significant market.

Gov. John Baldacci has formed a task force to study what it would take to win MSC certification. Two lobster dealers will raise private funds to pay for a third party to evaluate Maine’s lobster harvesting practices. That assessment then will be forwarded to MSC. While it’s possible that regulatory changes might be needed to win the ecolabel, they probably would be slight. Maine’s lobster fishery is a model of sustainability and has been for generations, through a fairly amicable partnership between state regulators and fishermen.

There is a lot at stake with the sustainable label. According to The Associated Press, Maine produces 80 percent of the U.S. lobster catch. And lobster was the most valuable fishery in 2006, generating $395 million in sales. It seems reasonable to assume that, given a choice, some consumers will buy only seafood labeled as coming from a green fishery. Maine lobster should be the crustacean of choice for both the discriminating consumer and the consumer with a conscience. The ecolabel will help realize that goal.