Lobsters scarce in Antigua

Antigua tourism officials call for intervention against sale of lobster.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Friday April 20, 2012 – A scarcity of lobster in Antigua has tourism officials concerned as restaurants have had to remove the delicacy from their menus.

Antigua Hotel and Tourism Association (AHTA) general manager, Mr. Neil Forrester, has called on the Antiguan government to enter discussions with a view to remedy the problem.

According to reports, Mr. Forrester has expressed concerns that some of the Association’s members reported shortages in lobster over the last two to three weeks, resulting in it being removed from the menu.

However, he stressed that a lobster dinner was one of the highlights of an Antiguan vacation, and called on the relevant authorities to look into the situation and avoid instances of over fishing.

Stakeholders in the industry are claiming that Chinese businesses purchased large quantities of lobster for export.

But, Mr. Forrester warned, the problem does not only affect tourism, but could also result in over fishing which can create a threat to the entire seafood industry. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)