Massachusetts delegation questions Swedish lobster ban push

BOSTON – The Massachusetts congressional delegation is joining its Maine counterparts in questioning a push by the Swedish government to declare American lobsters an invasive species.

Sweden wants the European Union to bar imports of live American lobsters into the 28-nation bloc, a response to the appearance of 32 American lobsters in Swedish waters.

Massachusetts’ delegation has sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and others saying the Swedish claim needs to be backed up with scientific evidence.

Massachusetts has the second-largest lobster fishery in the country, after Maine, whose congressional members expressed similar concerns last month. Both delegations say a ban on imports to Europe would hurt their states’ economy.

The U.S. State Department says the administration is working to ensure that U.S. lobster exports are not “unjustifiably restricted.”