Yorkshire Coast BID backs Whitby Lobster Hatchery's plan to create visitor centre

In June, the hatchery on Pier Road released their first group of baby lobsters back into the ocean.

As the summer season continues, the hen lobsters are producing more larvae and the project is hatching many juveniles, ready to be released back into the sea.

The demand for lobsters alongside the difficult life circle they face has resulted in a drastic need for lobster conservation, to ensure these species are healthy, abundant and sustainable.

Despite lobsters producing up to 20,000 eggs per cycle, only 1% of the larvae survive.

Whitby's fleet of potting boats catch around 100,000 lobster each year, however the growing demand has highlighted a greater need for conservation.

The hatchery operates to create a sustainable future for the Yorkshire Coast, and it aims to release 100,000 juvenile lobsters into the ocean every year.

It develops the eggs within its hatchery, eliminating many early risks and increasing the larvae survival rate to 30 to 50%.

Yorkshire Coast BID has invested funds to help transform the unused section of the fish market into a Marine Discovery Centre for visitors and families to learn even more about the work undertaken to protect the species.

Kerry Carruthers, Chief Executive at the Yorkshire Coast BID, said: "The Yorkshire Coast is famed for its shellfish, and it is vitally important industry for our area.

“The work that has been undertaken by the hatchery team and its trustees over the last couple of years has been impressive, and we are pleased that alongside other funding partners, that we can support the creation of the Marine Discovery."

Joe Redfern from the Whitby Lobster Hatchery, said: “As the summer season builds our amazing hen lobsters are producing more larvae just this week we broke our own record of hatching over 6000 juveniles in a day.

“Our conservation efforts have been supported by the Yorkshire Coast BID which we are very grateful for.

"The work is firmly under way in the visitors’ centre and we are excited to open our doors soon to give people chance to see our lobsters and other inspiring local sea life.”

A recent £95,000 grant from the Woodsmith Foundation will also allow the hatchery to expand its team and cover some of its running costs.