News from the National Lobster Hatchery

Winter 2007

Santa Claws the Christmas card

The NLH this year has produced a Christmas card with the help of Padstow Primary School.  General Manager, Dominic Boothroyd visited the school to tell them about the work done at the hatchery and inviting the children to take part in a competition to design a Christmas card for the shop.  The entries were so good that it was decided to print the top 3 designs.  They are available at the hatchery, on-line and other shops in Padstow.

House of Lords event

Baroness Wilcox, the patron of the National Lobster Hatchery (NLH) has offered to host an event at the House of Lords next year (13th May 2008), inviting around 250 VIP’s including MP’s, fishery based officials, friends & sponsors of the Hatchery and potential future sponsors.  The hire of the Cholmondeley suite will be sponsored by Baroness Wilcox and it certainly is a room with a view!

The hatchery is now seeking sponsors for the catering and transport for this high profile event.  A unique opportunity for a sponsor to support the work of the hatchery and to highlight their commitment to supporting sustainable fisheries and innovative business in Cornwall.

 If you know anybody that is interested please contact Dom Boothroyd, General Manager of the NLH.

Newlyn Fish Festival

The NLH had a stand this year at the Newlyn Fish Festival, which was a riotous success.  Displaying tanks of adult and baby lobsters, information and hatchery paraphernalia, the stand drew a consistent crowd of inquisitive fish lovers.  Staff look forward to next years event, hoping to pip our efforts this year with an even better stand and display for this fantastic event.  Baby lobsters were adopted, cuddly lobsters sold and questions answered, all in all, a brilliant day.

Katie Arnold, Research Technician said “I thought it was brilliant – there were so many people who were fascinated by our baby lobsters, and it gave me a great opportunity to tell people about my research”.

Funding from the National Aquarium Charity enabled us to exhibit our work in an easily accessible and professional manner with a new set of displays.  These are now being used every time we take our work outside of the hatchery, be it into schools, shows or fish festivals!!!

Royal Cornwall show

The NLH had a stall at the Royal Cornwall Show, where we were given the opportunity to spread the joy of crustacean conservation once again.  You may have seen us, beside the giant millipedes and African land snails!

National Aquarium Workshop

Four members of the National Lobster Hatchery team will travel to the National Aquarium Workshop (NAW) in Edinburgh this November.  The team primarily consisting of Hatchery researchers, will be reporting the findings of this years incredible research, that has helped garner the Padstow hatchery with international acclaim.

Research presented will include; work lead by Carly Daniels who has been looking at the use of pro-biotic enrichments in larval lobster development. Work lead by Katie Arnold, exploring the impact of increased carbon dioxide levels in seawater, as a result of global warming and its acidifying effect on the larval lobster carapace. Work fronted by Charlie Ellis which features improved release methods and a stakeholder release programme; putting the claw into NAW.

Academic advancements in lobster culture –

Former hatchery researcher Carly Daniels is working on her Doctorate at the NLH, through the University of Plymouth. Her work will concentrate on ‘Developing and understanding the use of biotic supplements in Homarid lobster culture’. At the early stages of this work Carly is hoping to find improved growth and survival with the synergistic use of pre and pro biotic dietary supplements.

Larval lobsters to predict climate change –

Hatchery researcher Katie Arnold is working on a project part funded by the European Social Fund and the NLH. Her work is concerned with the impact of, and measuring of atmospheric Carbon dioxide levels and consequently global warming. By looking at the acidification of larval lobster carapaces through the increase in acidity resulting from higher levels of carbon dioxide, Katie hopes to provide a measure of any Carbon dioxide increase via a biotic intermediary, further providing evidence of biological impact of any change.

Save Our Seas Foundation & DEFRA project -

The National Lobster Hatchery has recently received funding from DEFRA and the Save Our Seas foundation to carry out two projects aimed at increasing the involvement of fishery stakeholders (fishermen) in the release of hatchery-reared juvenile lobsters into the wild. The projects will allow the hatchery to release a significant proportion of our lobsters through local fishermen into active fisheries throughout Cornwall. Getting more fishermen regularly involved with releasing juvenile lobsters is seen as an important step in the progress of the hatchery’s stock enhancement programme. The projects will develop the methods currently employed for releases at sea to include an integrated system of marine timed release.

The SOS project (Save Our Seas) is a one year project to foster a nurturing attitude towards lobster populations amongst fishermen, and further involve the fishing community in funding the release of lots of lobster, 5,000 by stakeholders.

Hatchery researcher Charlie Ellis has also been heading a project aimed toward developing stakeholder participation in lobster stock enhancement projects, especially with the lobster hatchery. This project has been funded by DEFRA, allowing Charlie to develop a suitable stakeholder release system. This project will fund the release of 1,500 juvenile lobsters into proven lobster grounds.

It is hoped that developing the method will enable fishermen to release lobsters in their fishing creels or holding cages as part of their everyday working routines, whilst providing our lobsters with the best chance of survival in their favoured habitats. At least 6,500 lobsters will be released this year with the help of local fishermen during the projects, with most of our future releases to be carried out by fishermen if the design is successful.

Further aiding in this project the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth may lend one of its Remotely operated vehicles (ROV). The submersible will be used to film the release of lobsters, and so assess the effectiveness of the method as well as supplying useful footage for the hatchery visitor centre.

To find out more about the research at the hatchery, go to our research page on the website.

Number of lobsters released

So far this year over 10,000 lobsters in the later juvenile stages were released throughout the Cornish coastline and we still have around 2,000 left to release, that are growing bigger by the day! This will have a marked effect on the Lobster population in Cornish waters, and signifies our second best year yet, in terms of release numbers and by far the best year ever, in terms of the age of lobsters released.  The older the lobster once released, the greater are its chances of surviving to maturity.

Two new Trustees

We look forward to working with Jean Taylor, Business Development Officer of Exeter University and Phil Le Grice, Research & Projects Director of Duchy College.  Both have joined the Board of Trustees and bring with them, a whole host of knowledge and experience to offer the hatchery in their particular fields of research and innovation.

You can download the full list and personal profile of all our Trustees’ from our website, on ‘Our Supporters’ page.

Cornwall College lectures

Colin Wells, Senior Technician at the NLH will, in March 2008, start delivering an  additional series of lectures for Cornwall College, Newquay, as a module of their FdSc in Marine Aquaculture.  The lectures will be based around marine hatchery techniques and there will be a mixture of theory and practical work based at the college and the hatchery.

Colin stated that “This is a great opportunity for students in Cornwall to gain practical experience of working in the marine aquaculture and conservation fields and I am really excited to be involved”. 

Visitor centre improvements

The Visitor centre has been newly improved with a large cylindrical tank near the entrance.  Standing from floor to ceiling, the new tank houses one of our hatchery reared lobsters, he’s 3 years old with exquisite markings and usually lurking under a rock until his next feed.

Furthermore, with funding from The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, Seafish and Actnow; a touch screen has been added to the hatchery interactive facilities, that allows for games and information to be displayed. The touch screen also links to a web camera inside the hatchery, allowing a previously unseen view point.

New products

Adopt a lobster has been so successful that we are now offering family adoptions, 4 lobsters for £5, all on one certificate.

A new large cuddly lobster, 'Big Bertha' has been especially designed for the hatchery and is now available in the visitor centre and on-line.  We’ve got a new range of postcards, all photographs taken in house; from baby lobsters as small as your fingertip to giant colourful lobsters.  We’re also in the process of designing a clothing range for 2008, so remember to check the website next year, if you’re looking for something a bit different.

Hatchery goes greener with Envision help

The NLH was announced as Cornwall Business Week’s competition winner for a consultation with Envision, the South West’s government subsidised environmental support organisation.  Staff were also treated to a behind the scenes tour of the Eden Project’s waste neutral programme.

The aim of the consultation is not only to lower the hatchery’s carbon footprint but also to bring about long term financial savings and sustainability.  Envision will be reviewing the hatchery’s waste, water, transport, energy and building to establish where carbon savings can be made, which in turn will lead to a long term reduction in financial spend.

General Manager of the NLH, Dominic Boothroyd added, “We are delighted that through our Envision consultation we are going to be introducing more sustainable working practices. As a business committed to preserving marine life, it makes sense that we should address and reduce the impact of our business operation on the environment, by minimising our carbon footprint.”

New Visitor Centre staff

The visitor centre has been graced with two fabulous new members of staff, Kathryn Harman and Anne Crossley. Already the dynamic-duo has made a fantastic difference to the visitor centre.   Open invitations for school groups have been sent out to local schools offering behind the scenes tour and tailor made educational visits. 

We wish you all a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year and hope to see you back at the hatchery for the next lobster season.

“A PROJECT TO ASSIST MOTHER NATURE TO RESPOND TO MODERN PRESSURES .”