The provincial government is firing back at the Monterey Bay Aquarium which recently added Canadian snow crab and North American lobster to the list of seafoods to “avoid.” That’s something provincial Fisheries Minister Derek Brag calls “unwarranted, irresponsible and not based on fact.”

The listing by the California-based organization is based on the potential impact of gear and fishing activity on the North Atlantic right whales.

The endangered animals are prone to entanglement in gear and boat strikes at the surface where they feed.

The province, and the FFAW, have both pointed out to Monterey Bay Aquarium, that North Atlantic right whales are not commonly found in traditional snow crab and lobster fishing grounds that are frequented by harvesters in this province.

The animals are usually found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence during the summer months and have seldom been spotted in Newfoundland waters.

In addition, the province says there has been significant effort in recent years to introduce measures to avoid potential conflicts with North Atlantic right whales, which it says does not appear to have been considered by Seafood Watch.