Snowe Seeks State Dept. Intervention In Lobster Dispute

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, is asking U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to look into the lobster war waging between Maine lobstermen and their counterparts in Canada.

Clinton's involvement should be helpful, said Maine Department of Marine Fisheries Commissioner Patrick Keliher, but there are no signs that a signfiicant change imminent.

Canadian lobstermen, upset over low prices caused by a glut of U.S. lobster being sent to Canadian processing plants, have blocked shipments and forced several plants to close down.

Snowe told Clinton that the situation is "unacceptable" and asked her to raise it with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird and make it a priority in U.S.-Canadian relations.

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