Over 1,000 juvenile lobsters released along the Whitby–Scarborough coast

Yesterday, the North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NEIFCA) received over 1,000 juvenile lobsters for release along the coast between Whitby and Scarborough — a welcome boost for the wild population in our corner of the North Sea.

The release was carried out with the help of our own Joe Moody, Head Aquaculturist at the Whitby Lobster Hatchery, who put his recent sea survival training to good use out on the water. Getting young lobsters safely to sea and returned to the seabed is careful work, and days like this are only possible thanks to skilled hands and close collaboration between everyone involved.

Alongside the juveniles, NEIFCA were very kindly donated around 50kg of lobsters by Danny at Edwin Jenkinson Shellfish of Scarborough. These animals were taken out to sea, v-notched, and returned alive across various locations throughout the NEIFCA district.

What is v-notching? V-notching is where a small, painless notch is cut into the tail of a breeding female lobster before she's returned to the sea. Under fisheries rules, a v-notched lobster can't be landed or sold — so she's protected to carry on breeding and boosting the wild population for years to come. It's a simple, proven step that fishing communities and conservationists use side by side.

A special thank you to Daniel Bennett of NEIFCA for organising such a successful and genuinely sustainable day.

Yesterday was a real reminder of what's possible when fishing communities, conservationists, and local businesses pull in the same direction — a shared commitment to a healthy coastline and a thriving future for the generations who fish these waters.