New Lobster Hatchery Could Boost Economy by Over £½ Million a Year
Download a copy ofthe Lobster Hatchery Feasibility Report Summary here.
Proposals for a lobster hatchery in North Berwick have met with strong support. Jura Consultants, appointed to carry out the feasibility study for a proposed lobster hatchery in North Berwick, undertook a public consultation earlier this year and their findings were presented on Monday 12th October to local fishermen and representatives from East Lothian Council, North Berwick Harbour Trust, North Berwick Community Council and the Scottish Seabird Centre at a meeting in the Council Chambers, North Berwick.
Jura Consultants found resounding support for the project and their report demonstrates that such a facility would generate significant benefits for fishing and tourism. An additional 11 new jobs could be created by the new facility which could contribute over £½ million to the economy each year (this excludes the economic benefits of an improved fishery in the Forth).
Twenty to forty thousand juvenile lobsters could be released throughout the Firth of Forth every year, helping fishing communities in East Lothian and Fife. Optimal release levels and sites would need to be determined through an environmental impact study. In addition, the consultants recommended that the hatchery might also help to sustain local populations of crabs, langoustines and oysters. The hatchery would also operate as a new tourist attraction, complementing the adjacent award-winning Scottish Seabird Centre. It is estimated that the hatchery could attract approximately over 30,000 visitors in its first year.
In the wild, fewer than one per cent of lobsters survive beyond two weeks, but around 40 per cent of the young can be expected to survive in a hatchery. Unlike salmon farming, where stock is reared until it has matured, a lobster hatchery provides a “nursery” for the young lobsters. Female lobsters, with their eggs attached, are brought to the hatchery by local fishermen. After the eggs hatch, the larvae are reared until being released at just a few months old to mature, naturally, in the wild.
The consultants indicated that £2million would be required to build and fit out the proposed facility. In addition, they highlighted that the hatchery would not initially be financially viable and that ongoing revenue support would be required to ensure its survival. However, they indicated that funders are likely to be interested in supporting a project that would result in such significant and widespread benefits. This financial support would be essential to build and operate the hatchery.
The report recommended that the best location for the building would be at North Berwick harbour, adjacent to the Seabird Centre and in easy reach of high quality sea water (essential for a successful hatchery). The fishermen suggested that holding tanks for catches would be a useful additional facility and their recommendation has been incorporated into the plans.
Paul Jardine, Managing Director of Jura Consultants, commented, “The proposed lobster hatchery has the potential to build on the success of similar centres across the UK, with benefits for both marine conservation and the local economy.”
Seabird Centre Chief Executive, Tom Brock OBE commented: “This comprehensive study, confirms the belief that such a hatchery would be of real benefit to local fishermen with major positive, economic, environmental and education impacts. There is a long way to go, but with continued strong, local support, we believe that this exciting and innovative idea can become a reality. North Berwick could become home to the first hatchery of its type in Scotland.”
