Advocacy group urge people to stop buying American lobster

American lobster has been placed on the "red list" of seafood to be avoided because of the risks lobster fisheries pose to the endangered North Atlantic right whales, reports Seafood Watch, a sustainable seafood advocacy group.

They are urging people to avoid eating lobster because catching them poses danger to the endangered North Atlantic whales in that when vertical lines are used by fisheries they can entangle the whales, posing a risk to the already-endangered species.

The red list is designed to warn consumers that the seafood is farmed in ways that pose a threat to wildlife or the environment. Seafood Watch partners with restaurants, distributors ,grocery stores and major seafood buyers who use the listing to guide purchasing and menu choices and who avoid red-listed seafood.

According to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, there are just over 300 North Atlantic right whales left in the wild.