A nursery of lobsters inspired by the bees

Courtesy John Smith
The baby lobsters are transferred individually using a pear juice, such as we use in the kitchen in trays, separated into multiple alveoli.

Stephanie Gendron

Wednesday, 2 August 2017 00:00

UPDATE
Wednesday, 2 August 2017 00:00

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GREAT-RIVER | fishermen of the Gaspé peninsula use a system inspired by the hives of bees in order to grow lobsters in the laboratory, before sending them to the sea.

They want to compensate 5 % of what they have caught during the season.

The fishermen of the Gaspé peninsula led first to the laboratory of Grande-Rivière of female lobsters that carry eggs in a basin, within which the water becomes warmer gradually, up to 19 degrees Celcius to accelerate the process.

When the larvae are in the water, the scientists harvested with a dip net and transfer them into a rearing tank where they can grow for 12 days.

“When they measure about 1.5 cm, the lobsters have claws, and as they are small carnivores, they are trying to eat them “, said John smith scientific director of the Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels du sud de la Gaspésie.

This is where the ingenuity of the bees to become interesting.

Courtesy

John smith scientific director of the Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels du sud de la Gaspésie

Released back into the sea

The baby lobsters are transferred individually using a pear juice, such as we use in the kitchen, in trays, separated into multiple cells stacked in a cylinder as a hive.

“It is a scottish company that has developed the concept, Aquahive. Lobsters are animals that like to gather in a corner, ” explains Mr. Côté.

After 10 to 15 days, the lobsters of two centimeters are brought to the sea where they will take approximately seven years before being ready to be harvested and served in our plates.

Safe from predators

If the survival rate from hatching to stocking is 25 % in the laboratory, it is estimated that only one egg in 1000 will survive in the sea.

The experts can therefore produce more lobsters, more quickly and more protected from predators.

“When the project was launched in 2010-2011, the resource was not also abundant, and the landings were stagnant. The situation has improved since then with stricter rules surrounding the fishing, to climate change, since the water is warmer and the decline in the number of predators, ” says John smith.

However, the objective remains the same, i.e. to compensate for 5 % of the catch of the year. In 2016, about four million lobsters had been caught, the collection would therefore give approximately 200 000 to the sea.