Whitby Lobster Hatchery: 6 Facts About Lobsters You Didn’t Know
Illustration: Nikolai Jonasson
Giving back to nature, keeping ecological balance and sustaining the future of the local fisheries: that’s a short description of what Whitby Lobster Hatchery does.
Caring about your community and the environment can take many forms, and today we wanted to talk about a charity that is focusing on juvenile lobsters: rearing and releasing them into the wild. And as a bonus, we compiled a few fun facts about lobsters we bet you didn’t know!
Lobster demonstration at the hatchery.
Image Source: Whitby Lobster Hatchery
Whitby Lobster Hatchery:
Supporting Local Fishing Community
The lobster industry is worth more than $5 billion with the biggest providers being Canada and the US. Over the course of five years, the value of lobsters in the UK increased from £32,5 million to £46,5 million. The number of landings is slightly fluctuating but overall seems stable. Read below about how Whitby Lobster Hatchery is taking a part in sustaining the lobster population on a local level.
The Whitby Lobster Hatchery project was created in North Yorkshire, UK, to ensure the ecological balance of local marine ecosystem is maintained.
Lobster catches make up the vast majority of earnings for the North Yorkshire fishing community. The charity wants to ensure the marine environments, that the community depends on, are protected for generations to come.
By rearing juvenile lobster in the hatchery, Whitby Lobster Hatchery increases the chance of their survival before releasing lobsters to sea. The aim is to ensure the protection of the local lobster population and the longevity of the fishing fleet.
Another important element of charity is education and research. Whitby Lobster Hatchery has a marine discovery centre where they educate, inspire and reconnect people with the marine environment. Often guests of the centre are school groups, along with anyone interested in native marine life, local fishing heritage and marine conservation.
““Our project brings hope for the fishermen and fisherwoman along the coast. It provides job security by underpinning the lobster populations ensuring the industry has a sustainable future. Our project also brings a positive boost to the local economy and tourism sector.””
Whitby Lobster Hatchery is protecting local fishing heritage by rearing and releasing juvenile lobsters, and the goal is to release 100,000 lobsters yearly. On average, lobsters have 10% of survival in the wild, the chances increase to 25% if they have been reared by the hatchery.
The lobster industry has a high value on the global seafood market. But we tend to forget that the industry would not exist without fishermen, who are hardworking every day and whose lives depend on the catches they make. Whitby Lobster Hatchery’s goal is to secure the jobs for generations to come on their coastline – acting locally and positively impacting the lives of their community members.
At Caddyboo we believe, that it’s important to start small and local. Changing the whole world at once is impossible, we need to act locally and change the lives of people around us. See the change with our own eyes, inspire others. That is the way to change the world.
And now, as promised, a few fun facts about the lobsters we bet you didn’t know. (We will start with a serious one, though. The rest is fun, we assure you.)
Whitby Lobster Hatchery also works with local artists for their merchandise.
Image source: Whitby Lobster Hatchery.jpg
Whitby Lobster Hatchery with local community.
Image source: Whitby Lobster Hatchery
Climate Change Causes Lobster Migration
Lobsters preferred temperature in the wild ranges between 12 and 18°C, when the temperature rises above 19°C, lobsters are forced to use more energy and show signs of stress. The rise in the water temperature caused by global warming makes lobsters change their habitat to deeper and cooler waters.
Researchers and fishermen are recording the water temperature fluctuations to predict where lobsters would migrate. Oftentimes, lobsters migrate further from the shore, which for fishermen means the increase of energy spending required for travelling.
2. Lobsters regenerate their lost limbs
If a lobster loses their claw, leg or antennae, it can grow a new one. The new body part will appear after a moult, however, it might take several moults for them to regenerate a lost limb to a previous size. They can also amputate their limbs to escape danger.
3. Lobsters never stop growing
Indeterminate growth is common between all crustaceans, and lobsters are not an exception. They grow through their whole life and shed their shells to accommodate the ongoing growth. They secrete an enzyme, that softens their shell, and it breaks up from their back, so they can leave it behind. Fun facts, they also shed the membrane that’s covering their eyes. Lobsters also increase by 20% after every moult.
According to the Guinness World Records, the heaviest lobster caught was 20,14 kilograms on the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1977. But to this day, the largest lobster is located in New Brunswick, Canada: 11 meters long and weighing 55 tonnes. Yes, there is a statue of a giant lobster in Canada.
By the way, there is still no accurate way to estimate lobsters’ age.
4. Lobsters are cannibalistic
Generally, lobsters eat freshly caught crab, fish, clams, mussels, worms, plants. In captivity or if they can’t find other food lobsters can be cannibalistic. Moulting time is potentially dangerous for them because without their “armour” lobsters lose their protection and might be attacked and eaten by another member of their family.
Finding traces of moult in the stomach of lobster doesn’t necessarily mean that they just had a cannibalistic dinner. Many lobsters eat their shell after moulting – it is a great source of calcium to strengthen their new shell.
5. Lobsters’ teeth are in their stomach
The stomach is located close to the mouth and the grinding structure for chewing is called the gastric mill. So, basically, they chew inside their stomach.
6. Female lobster carries up to 100,000 eggs at a time
A 1-pound female lobster carries approximately 8000 eggs, but the older they get and grow, the amount of eggs increases significantly. For example, a 9-pound female can carry more than 100,000 eggs at a time. Only 1% of the hatch will survive and grow to be a legal size for a catch.
Learn more about lobsters and have a peek behind the scenes of Whitby Lobster Hatchery here.
