More than six months ago, Whole Foods decided to ban the sale of live lobsters and soft shelled crabs in their stores because they determined that the practice was inhumane. The sea creatures, in Whole Foods' study, were not "treated with respect and compassion" on their journey from sea to market and until that issue could be resolved, no lobsters were to be put into the sale tanks in the fish department.

Since the ban was enacted, the natural foods store has not found any companies that meet its standards for the human treatment of lobsters. Until now, that is. Whole Foods is opening their first market in Maine next week and the Portland store will be stocking live lobsters. They have contracted with the Little Bay Lobster Co., a New Hampshire-based company, which will keep lobsters in private compartments for transport after catching them to reduce their stress.

Stocking live lobsters doesn't mean that they will be selling live lobsters, though. In the stores, an employee will use a "110-volt shock [to kill them and] to spare them the agony of being boiled alive in a pot of water."

Maine's lobster fishermen aren't thrilled with this plan. First, they are offended that a company that so heavily promotes its support for local farmers and fishermen would choose an out-of-state company when there are so many local ones to choose from. Second, the fishermen say that "they tell us we're doing everything wrong, obviously it doesn't sit very well with us," noting that using "a lobster electric chair" to kill the lobster sounds like a gimmick that won't impress consumers. Especially not in a state that loves its lobsters.

The average American eats nearly 17 pounds of seafood each year, and the amount has been steadily increasing over the past half-century, so it's worrying to hear that a new study reveals we might only have the same kind of access to the sea for less than half that time before we run into some serious problems. In an article published this week in Science, a group of international researchers said "90% of the fish and shellfish species that are hauled from the ocean to feed people worldwide may be gone by 2048." They cite overfishing and poor fishery management as major contributors to the problem. Fish are not replenished, or given enough time to rebuild their populations before they are fished to the brink of existence, as has been happening with 29% of the fish species that are commercially fished, according to the researchers.

Of course, it's important to keep in mind that this is not the first time that there have been doomsday predictions about food supplies and other natural resources, but that doesn't mean there is no truth to it. The team said in their report that implementing more widespread sustainable fishing practices will alleviate or even avoid the problem entirely. They also call for increasing the efforts for conservation of coastal areas and water pollution

Summer means hot, sunny days and, if you live near the coast, day trips to the beach. You spend the morning prepping food and snacks, toss them into a cooler with lots of ice and hit the road. Most of the beaches out here - the good ones, anyway - don't offer a lot in the way of vendors, so except for the occasional hot dog stand or ice cream truck, you're on your own for beach-friendly sustenance. Fortunately, there are many good choices and here are a few that surfaced in our minds when we started to think about heading out for some fun in the sun (Besides, I had so much fun with the egg puns, that I couldn't resist...).

• Sandwiches - Portable and versatile, you'll be able to find something everyone likes, but keep them in a cooler unless you're sticking to peanut butter and jelly
• Sunchips - Multigrain chips that are less greasy, and more flavorful, than regular chips

The Octodog is a gadget that bills itself as a "frankfurter converter." In a matter of seconds, it can cut an ordinary hot dog into a hot dog that resembles a sea creature, namely an octopus. The device is made out of sturdy plastic and cuts through the dogs by applying pressure, without the use of a blade. This makes it child-safe, but produces edges that are somewhat dull. To show off the "legs," the Octodog really needs to be served on a plate, not in a bun.

To be frank(furter), I can honestly say that I have never had a desire to try and convert a hot dog into any form of marine life, though sites selling them proclaim that "kids love them!" and I will admit that it is sort of cute, especially with some cartoon eyes added. If you want to check one out, they're for sale here.

Italy has some of the toughest animal protection laws in the world. Turin, the site of this year's winter Olympic games, actually has a law that imposes a fine if you fail to walk your dog three times a day. Given this, it's not all that surprising to hear that they are regarding lobsters with the same feelings most reserve for cats and dogs.

A restaurant in Vicenza, Italy, was fined $855 for attempting to subject a lobster to a prolonged death, though the restaurant owners had no direct intention of killing the creature. They were displaying the live lobster on ice as a promotion for their seafood business. The case was first brought to the Italian courts in 2002 when a former environmental activist took his two small children to the restaurant, where they were "shocked by the display."

Lobsters can live out of water for at least 24 hours and up to several days. They have a specialized gill that allows them to utilize oxygen from the air and, as the restaurant would have returned the lobster to its tank at the end of the day, the lobster would most likely have been unharmed by the ordeal.