End of 2025 Season

Whitby’s Lobster Hatchery has capped off the 2025 season with its most successful year yet, releasing more than 20,000 juvenile lobsters back into the North Sea. The project, now in its third year, continues to grow in scale and ambition, marking a steady rise in output that mirrors the strong community support behind it.

The final release of the season took place this week, joined by the team from Mary’s Sandwich Shop in Sandsend, who have recently pledged 1% of their sales to support the hatchery. Their involvement is the latest example of how Whitby’s independent businesses and residents are rallying behind the project. Locals say the hatchery has become a point of pride for the town—something that represents Whitby’s heritage, its future, and its deep connection to the sea.

For a coastal community where fishing remains central to local identity, the project’s work is seen as more than a scientific effort; it’s an investment in Whitby’s long-term sustainability. The town continues to rank among the top three lobster ports in Europe, and healthy lobster stocks are essential for sustaining its fishing fleet, local livelihoods, and the cultural fabric that surrounds them.

Behind the operation sits North Sea Conservation, the charity driving the hatchery’s vision. Their flagship project focuses on nurturing lobster larvae through their fragile early stages—when survival rates in the wild are exceptionally low—before releasing them into local waters at a size and strength that gives them a fighting chance. Marine specialists involved with the charity say this boost at the earliest stages is already improving resilience in nearshore lobster populations.

Whitby’s residents, local businesses, schools, volunteers, and visiting families have increasingly become part of the hatchery’s story. Over the last year thousands of visitors have watched baby lobsters grow, and volunteers have devoted countless hours to husbandry, public engagement, and release days. The local fishing community have continued to support the charity by bringing the egg bearing female lobsters into the hatchery.

To bring the community together and celebrate the season, supporters are being invited to a special Friends of the Hatchery Evening on:

27 November, 5–7 pm
Free tickets and details: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1963190433434?aff=oddtdtcreator

The evening will feature updates from the team, an informal look at the year’s accomplishments, insight into what’s ahead for 2026, and locally provided food—including offerings linked to the partners who have helped drive this season’s success.

As the year draws to a close, the hatchery is encouraging supporters to get involved in small ways that help fund future releases. Options include purchasing the 2026 calendar, ordering a Christmas gift pack, or choosing to adopt a lobster through the project’s website. Each contribution, organisers say, goes directly towards caring for the next generation of Whitby’s lobster population.

Project leads have expressed deep thanks to the hatchery’s staff, its dedicated volunteers, funders, and the many businesses and individuals who have stepped forward to support the work. Many have noted that while the science underpins the success, it is the community spirit surrounding the project that continues to drive it forward.

“Whitby has always been focused around the sea,” said Joe Redfern, General Manager “we hope the hatchery is simply the latest chapter in that story and one which will help that story live on for many years to come.”