Steneck cited in media reports on Sweden’s proposed lobster ban
The Associated Press, Portland Press Herald and Gloucester Times cited a white paper written by Robert Steneck, a marine biologist at the University of Maine’s School of Marine Sciences, in reports about the dispute over a Swedish proposal to ban imports of American lobsters by European Union countries. Scientists from the United States and Canada say the proposal isn’t supported by science, according to the AP. Steneck’s paper, which was released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), refutes Sweden’s claims. “All evidence that we have today indicates that the American lobster is not currently and may not be capable of ever meeting the definition of ‘invasive,’” Steneck wrote. “I see no support for the arguments that it poses a clear and present danger to European waters.” He added that current EU water temperatures “are too warm for successful reproduction” of American lobsters. ABC News, Daily Mail and Star Tribune carried the AP report.