Though it has long been regarded as one of the more sustainable fisheries on the planet, Maine’s lobster industry is considering whether it should try to make itself look even greener.
To ensure that Maine lobster keeps up with changing consumer demands, some lobster industry representatives hope to have the fishery certified as sustainable by the London-based Marine Stewardship Council.
Wal-Mart is one of the driving forces behind this interest. In 2006, the retail giant said that by 2011 it would buy all of its wild-caught fish only from fisheries that have been MSC-certified. If Maine’s lobster industry wants to include Wal-Mart among its buyers, certification advocates say, it will have to get its fishery management methods officially endorsed by MSC.