The New England-based plaintiffs 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. The lobster fishing industry, based mostly in Maine, has pushed back, saying the claim inaccurately portrays it as a threat to whales and constitutes defamation that has caused economic harm. “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. A lower level federal court ruled last year that the lawsuit could proceed after the aquarium had requested it be tossed.