Around the Net
Bad For Lobster Fisheries, Good For Lobsters
- Boston Globe, Tuesday, March 20, 2012 10:55 AM
Shell disease might not look good but it might help lobsters live longer. That's because consumers like their lobster shells crimson.
Wholesalers pay less for lobsters with shell disease and many fishermen will just throw a lobster back if it is diseased. It's caused by a bacterial infection that does not affect the meat and seems to strike mainly in the warm coastal waters off Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York. Though it is unlikely to pose a threat to the heart of the industry farther north, researchers are trying to understand why these crustaceans get sick and what, if anything, can be done to protect them. I guess one way to protect them would be to make 'em sicker!
