Fishing industry businesses and trade groups out of New England sued the Monterey Bay Aquarium for defamation after the aquarium's Seafood Watch conservation program placed American and Canadian lobster on its do-not-eat “red list” in 2022. “Monterey Bay Aquarium in their Seafood Watch report didn't disclose any of the countervailing evidence. Seafood Watch is one of the most cited sustainability reports about seafood, and many restaurants and stores use it to inform which products to carry. During oral arguments, Amy Saharia, an attorney for the aquarium, said that Seafood Watch didn't single out any of the plaintiffs with a direct reference. Maine fishermen caught more than 78 million pounds (35 million kilograms) of lobster last year — a down year by the industry's recent standards.