Why hold live lobster rather than sell straight away?

For fishermen and shellfish merchants, landing a good catch is only part of the story. Having somewhere suitable to hold live lobster can give a business more control over what happens next, allowing stock to be managed between landing and sale rather than everything having to move immediately.

That was one of the opportunities recognised by Cecil McCullough and his sons Rodney and Wayne at Kilkeel Harbour in Northern Ireland. Better known for processing pelagic fish such as herring and mackerel, the family moved into live shellfish in 2022 and invested in two Todd Fish Tech Lobster Pods with a combined holding capacity of 600kg.

Why did Kilkeel Kippering need lobster tanks?

Being based right at Kilkeel Harbour meant access to lobster wasn’t the problem. The challenge was having the capacity to keep live lobster healthy while waiting for buyers and, importantly, being able to hold stock when there was a reason not to sell immediately.

When we first spoke to Rodney for this case study, the family were preparing for their first Christmas season with the Lobster Pods. They had started holding stock back from the end of October rather than automatically selling as it was landed.

As Rodney explained at the time:

“We know we have the ability to hold the lobsters for months so we are confident we will make a good profit. We’re still learning the markets and it’s all still very new to us but it’s all working great.”

It also changed the quantities they could offer to buyers. Rodney told us that vivier operators had previously been less inclined to make the journey unless the family had accumulated a good volume of lobster. With holding capacity available, they had more flexibility to build and manage their stock.

Why did they choose Todd Fish Tech Lobster Pods?

Rodney and his family didn’t simply buy the first lobster tank they found. They researched the different systems available and spoke to manufacturers before making their decision.

“We did a fair bit of research and took the time to talk to the manufacturers of the different systems. It was quite clear that Todd Fish Tech’s system was the result of much hard work and studying of the lobster species. They really knew their product inside and out and had answers to every question we could think of.”

Space was another important consideration. The new shellfish side of the business had a relatively small area available, so the amount of lobster they could hold within that space mattered.

Rodney added:

“Their system was the best storage capacity to volume which suited us well as we had a small area planned for the new shellfish division. Not to mention they were very easy to talk to and kept in great contact with us throughout.”

That last bit matters to us. Buying a live shellfish holding system isn’t simply a case of dropping off a tank and disappearing. We support our customers through installation, filter maturation and getting to know their new system, and we’re still here when they have questions later.

How do individual trays help manage live lobster?

One of the features the McCullough family particularly liked was being able to organise their stock.

Rather than putting all the lobsters together in one large tank, the individual trays in the Lobster Pod allow stock to be separated in whatever way makes sense for the business. That might be by size, sex, the boat it came from, when it was landed or simply which lobsters are intended for a particular buyer.

For a busy fishing or shellfish business, that’s a very practical advantage. You can see what you’ve got, know where it is and manage different batches without having to search through a tank full of lobsters.

What was it like getting started with the Lobster Pods?

As with any biological filtration system, a new Lobster Pod needs time and attention during filter maturation before it is gradually stocked. We support customers through this process rather than expecting them to work it out alone.

Once the McCulloughs had completed that stage and started filling their systems, Rodney was very happy with the decision:

“The Lobster Pod system is phenomenal and exceeds our expectations. It didn’t take us long to get into the swing of things and after a bit of care and attention during the filter maturation process we have successfully been filling our tanks and keeping live healthy lobsters for sale for our buyers visits.”

His conclusion was even simpler:

“Without a doubt I would recommend buying a system from Todd Fish Tech.”

We couldn’t really ask for a better ending to a customer case study than that.

Looking for lobster tanks for your business?

Every fishing and shellfish business is different. Available space, required holding capacity, water temperature, species, location and how you intend to use the system all affect what you need.

Todd Fish Tech has been designing and manufacturing live shellfish holding systems in the UK since 1998. If you’re considering lobster tanks get in touch and tell us what you’re trying to achieve.

We’ll be happy to talk it through and help you work out the right Lobster Pod setup for your business.

Get in touch with Todd Fish Tech to find out more about our Lobster Pods and live lobster holding systems.

Last reviewed: September 2026