National Lobster Day is held on the 15th June.

Larval Baby Lobster

To celebrate the team at Todd Fish Tech are holding our official launch of the new Lobster Hatchery at our Fife based workshop.

We have always had a great interest in Lobster Hatcheries and were inspired by our Research and Development Director, marine biologist Dr Keith Todd.  He supplied the equipment (or Fish Tech as we call it) to Seascope which is in Kilkeel in Northern Ireland, lobster hatchery in Lake District Coast Aquarium in Maryport and Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery in North Berwick and had written several feasibility studies on the subject including studies for Scarborough Borough Council and Marine Scotland.  He is a real expert in the field.

We now manufacture lobster hatchery technology and have several enquiries a year for our innovative, energy efficient, cost-effective systems however funding these is always a challenge.  Please see our lobster hatchery page for more information about our unique systems.  The new EMFF grants exclude funding lobster hatcheries.  We genuinely believe we should sow before we reap and whilst we understand hatcheries are only part of the solution (with V notching, improved policy and policing also important) we know the economic and environmental case stacks up.  It can be frustrating that responsible fishermens’ groups who think hatcheries could play a role in local sustainability of their fishery cannot fund these projects.

So, time to put our money where our mouth is!

We have set up a lobster hatchery in our showroom which you are welcome to visit by appointment.  Any of our customers can donate a berried female lobster and we will hatch and raise the baby lobster through the first seven moults which is the most vulnerable stage and return them to the customer for release into their fishery.  The genetic diversity is vitally important and we will be conducting scientific research into this area as well as lobster juvenile diet and developing new technology.  This is all self funded to support our customers and the UK lobster fishery.

The next stage is to farm lobsters in a recirculation system (a first for the UK) and progress our spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas) hatchery which we hope by next years’ National Lobster Day to have more news.

So Happy National Lobster Day everyone!  We hope our project can help the lobster fishery and inspire others to do their little bit to help too.

Best Fishes,

Errin

Todd Fish Tech Juvenile System

Sea-E-O and Flounder

Todd Fish Tech Kreisel Tank for Larval Lobsters

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