Americans lobsters are invading, according to a new survey by the Bergen Aquarium, and efforts will now be concentrated on limiting their spread in a bid to preserve the smaller Norwegian species. The crustaceans were originally imported into Oslo, but their proliferation is now described as a national problem by environmentalists, who are concerned about what effect the lobsters will have on other wildlife.
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Scientists are concerned that the invasion will mean the end of European lobsters, who are easy prey for the American lobsters’ larger claws and the diseases they carry. From the aquarium, researcher Kees Ekeli told Aftenposten: “We’re worried about an outbreak of lobster pest. The European lobster is already struggling. The same number of lobsters is being trapped in the whole of Europe now as caught in South Norway alone in the sixties.”
Cooks and chefs meanwhile are concerned that the invasion will mean a shortage of fine meals. For them it’s all down to taste, and several of the top Norwegian chefs are adamant that the potentially endangered Norwegian lobsters taste best.
