Japan bans shipments of Maine lobster

PORTLAND – Shipments of North American lobster, also known as Maine lobster, have been banned by Japan because of a misunderstanding over safety, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

News of the stalled shipments of live lobster swept across the New England waterfront two days after the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to eat the green substance known as tomalley that’s found in the body cavity of lobsters. Tomalley can be contaminated by red tide, which can cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning in humans, a food poisoning that can be fatal.

Lobster industry officials say some people who received the FDA advisory thought lobster should be avoided altogether, but the lobster meat in the tails and claws remains safe to eat.

About 250,000 pounds of lobster worth more than $1 million is shipped each week to Japan, said Bonnie Spinazzola, executive director of the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association in New Hampshire.