The lawsuit ignores the extensive evidence that these fisheries pose a serious risk to the survival of the endangered North Atlantic right whale, & seeks to curtail the First Amendment rights of a beloved institution that educates the public about the importance of a healthy ocean, says the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation.

 Last year, Seafood Watch, the conservation program, operated by the foundation, put lobster from the U.S. & Canada on its list of seafood to avoid due to the threat posed to rare whales by entanglement in fishing gear used to harvest American lobster, the species that makes up most of the U.S. lobster market.