PORTLAND — The European Union is backing off a Swedish proposal to ban imports of American lobster into 28 member countries.
Officials with the EU say the European Commission has informed Sweden it will not propose the lobster be listed as invasive. It will instead pursue measures less likely to disrupt trade.
The EU decided last month to conduct an extensive review of a proposal to ban lobsters imported from the U.S. and Canada. A scientific panel had concluded Sweden raised valid points in requesting to declare the American lobster an invasive species.
Fishermen in New England and Canada, congressmen and scientists opposed the ban. They said the proposed ban wasn’t based in sound science.
The dispute started when Sweden announced it had found 32 American lobsters in its waters.
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