Orkney Shellfish Hatchery has released its first stock of land-raised European clawed lobster juveniles into the ocean.
The release, which saw 500 of the hatchery’s lobster juveniles deployed directly on to the seabed at Churchill Barriers in Orkney, Scotland, was supported by local diving school, Kraken Diving.
“We are excited about the first release of our European clawed lobster juveniles and are extremely proud of the progress that both Callum, our lead lobster hatchery technician, and the hatchery team has made,” said Dr Nik Sachlikidis, managing director at Orkney Shellfish Hatchery.
“We are pleased to play our part in maintaining and replenishing native lobster stocks in the local waters and this release is a clear demonstration of how we aim to support the valuable local fishery.
The lobsters had been raised on land at the hatchery from egg through to stage six and beyond using the Aquahive system from Ocean On Land Technology and measured up to 45mm in size on release. Juvenile lobsters of this size are considered more robust than in earlier stages, therefore giving them the best chance of survival in the wild.
The announcement comes after the hatchery shared news of its first successful release of native flat oyster spat last month.
