Gov. Janet Mills Criticizes Entire Meals for Choice to Cease Promoting Maine Lobster

• Entire Meals will now not promote Maine lobster in its shops. 
• Gov. Janet Mills mentioned she and different lawmakers have been “deeply pissed off” with the choice.
• Entire Meals cited issues that fishing gear would hurt North Atlantic proper whales.

Entire Meals market introduced that it’ll cease promoting Gulf of Maine lobster, following the lead of different retailers boycotting the state’s crustacean on account of environmental teams’ stress. 

On account of the grocery chain’s choice to cease promoting the state’s lobster, Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills, together with different state lawmakers, expressed frustration in a joint assertion.

“We’re disillusioned by Entire Meals’ choice and deeply pissed off that the Marine Stewardship Council’s suspension of the lobster business’s certificates of sustainability continues to hurt the livelihoods of hardworking women and men up and down Maine’s coast,” the assertion learn.

The Maine Lobster Advertising and marketing Collaborative, which represents the Gulf of Maine fishery, additionally known as the choice “disappointing” in an announcement to Maine Public.

Entire Meals advised the Related Press their choice was primarily based on issues for North Atlantic proper whales, a species of whale discovered off the japanese coast of the US. Proper whales can attain as much as 52 ft in size and dwell as much as 70 years. 

Seafood Watch, an environmental watchdog run by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, cited issues in September that the fishing gear used to catch Maine lobsters may pose an entanglement danger to the whales. 

Marine Stewardship Council then suspended the Gulf of Maine lobster fishery’s certificates in November. The suspension will go into impact on December 15, in line with a press launch.

North Atlantic proper whales are an endangered species, with fewer than 350 remaining, in line with NOAA. The principle causes of bizarre loss of life for proper whales embrace entanglements with fishing gear and collisions with ships.

In an announcement to Maine Public, a Entire Meals spokesperson mentioned that the chain would proceed to promote Maine lobster caught earlier than the Gulf of Maine fishery certificates suspension goes into impact.

HelloFresh and Blue Apron additionally stopped the sale of Maine lobsters in September, citing related issues.

Representatives for Entire Meals, the Maine Lobster Advertising and marketing Collaborative, and the Marine Stewardship Council didn’t instantly reply to Insider’s request for remark.