Terrorism in Belgium and France May Cast Pall over Upcoming Lobster Season  This month’s terrorist attacks in Paris and the current lockdown in Brussels have created an unforeseen risk for the upcoming lobster season in Nova Scotia writes John Sackton. Lobster fishing in Canada’s biggest regions LFA 33 and 34, syncs the fishery’s production in time for Christmas demand in the US and EU in addition to Chinese New Year buying. But major headwinds now face the industry this season. Most worrisome, writes Sackton, is the possibility of an extended economic slowdown from recent the string of terrorist attacks and threats across the EU. Particularly in Belgium, the main hub for live lobsters imported from Halifax. “If sales to Europe fall off sharply, the lobsters will have to go somewhere, and more lobsters in the US and China will impact a volatile market, which can easily respond to an unexpected increase in supply,” writes Sackton. In other news two straight weeks of massive rain storms has flooded out large swaths of shrimp ponds and damaged the production infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh. The expectation now is for shrimp exports from the major producing Indian state to decline for the remainder of the year and into 2016. “Cyclone Roanu caused huge loss to aquaculture and the calamity will effect on shrimp production in Andhra Pradesh,” said MEPDA’s Director S. Kandan. Meanwhile, Thai Union said it is ready to pull the trigger on selling off its Chicken of the Sea brand if it gets approval from the US State Department to proceed with its acquisition of Bumble Bee Seafoods. The State Department is expected to make its decision on December 18. “We are in talks with potential buyers and expect to sell it immediately if the Justice Department gives the nod for us to buy Bumble Bee," said Thai Union’s President Thiraphong Chansiri. Finally, research suggests the impact of bottom trawls on sea floors around the world is lower than often claimed by opponents of trawling. Dr. Ricardo Amoroso of the University of Washington and the National University of Comahue in Argentina, refuted commonly held claims from NGOs about the extent of areas impacted by bottom trawling during their presentation at the Fish Expo in Seattle last week. “Trawl effort is highly concentrated, with many areas untrawled,” said Dr. Amoroso in his presentation. “ A large fraction of effort take place on a small portion of the bottom.” We will be closed tomorrow November 26 and Friday November 27 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. We will resume with our normal publication schedule on Monday November 30. On behalf of John, Ken, Peggy, Linda and the rest of our team we wish all of our readers and their families a safe and happy Thanksgiving.