Lobster industry sues Monterey Bay Aquarium over 'red list' designation.

Maine lobstermen are suing the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation for defamation after it placed American lobster on its "red list" of seafood for consumers to avoid due to the threat posed to right whales by fishing gear entanglement used to harvest lobster. The lawsuit alleges that portraying the Maine lobster industry as a threat to whales is false and defamatory. The "red list" distinction caused stores like Whole Foods and restaurants like the Cheesecake Factory to no longer sell lobster caught in Maine. The lawsuit is seeking that the aquarium remove "all defamatory statements concerning the Maine lobster industry and its fishing practices," as well as unspecified monetary damages covering "the value of all business Plaintiffs have lost or will lose in the future."