Lobster Tanks at Kilkeel Harbour
Cecil McCullough and his sons Rodney and Wayne are well known for processing pelagic fish such as herring and mackerel at Kilkeel Harbour. In spring 2022, they took on a new challenge—investing in two Lobster Pods to store 600kg of live lobster. With supply on their doorstep, the real question was how to keep their lobsters healthy and in the best condition for the live market.
Preparing for the Christmas Market
The McCullough’s started holding back stock from late October in the hope of doubling the price for the Christmas market. Rodney explained, “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.”
He added that buyers are already more engaged. “The Viviers are more keen for the lobsters now in the run up to Christmas, whereas before they wouldn’t make the journey unless we had a good size of stock, they now come more frequently for less.”
Researching the Right System
Before buying, the McCulloughs did their homework. Rodney said, “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. 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.”
Sorting Made Simple
The family also value the flexibility of the system. Unlike one large tank where it can be hard to monitor stock, the Lobster Pod allows them to sort lobsters by size, sex, boat landed from, or time of landing. This makes managing the catch far easier and gives them confidence in preparing for buyers’ visits.
Exceeding Expectations
Rodney summed up their experience: “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. Without a doubt I would recommend buying a system from Todd Fish Tech.”
For businesses looking to maximise value, improve shellfish welfare, and make the most of limited space, the Lobster Pod is a proven solution.
Get in touch by calling 01383 820685 or emailing hello@toddfishtech.com to have a chat about how the Lobster Pod might help you.
