Nonprofit Certifies Gulf of Maine Lobster as Sustainable

PORTLAND, Maine - A nonprofit group that focuses on responsible seafood management says it is certifying the Gulf of Maine's lobster fishery as sustainable.
 
The Marine Stewardship Council says the lobster fishery has achieved Fisheries Standard certification.
 
The group says that means commercial vessels licensed by Maine and the federal government meet its sustainability requirements. That includes vessels that fish in a specific management area in the Gulf of Maine and sell lobster to the Maine Certified Sustainable Lobster Association.
 
The lobster association is a group of wharf operators, processors, dealers and wholesalers in New England.
 
Maine's lobster fishery has been growing in value for several years. It was worth nearly a half billion dollars in 2015, which is the highest total in history according to state records that go back to 1880.