Whitby Lobster Hatchery has launched a juvenile sponsorship program, giving everyone the chance to sponsor a tiny lobster and support the charity's conservation aims.
Each juvenile lobster sponsored will help to contribute to the costs of rearing and releasing juvenile lobsters including feeding, water quality maintenance and release.
The hatchery has ambitious aims to release 100,000 juvenile lobsters every year to support the wild populations and ensure the longevity of North East fishing fleets.
The natural cycle of juvenile lobster is from April to October, so spring 2023 will be a busy time for the hatchery.
To mark the end of the first season for Whitby Lobster Hatchery, they released more than 400 juveniles at Boggle Hole, Robin Hood’s Bay.
With help from local fisherman George Lamplough, the juvenile lobsters were released successfully into their new home.
Overall, they have released nearly 1,000 this season, so they will need quite a step up to achieve their target.
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To overcome this during the past year they have been busy installing a sophisticated new hatchery system, which they hope will provide them the additional capacity to rear the juvenile lobsters.
A hatchery spokesman said: "The past 12-months have been an extremely concerning time of the fishers along our North East coastline.
"Besieged by wave after wave of dead and dying crustaceans their catches plummeted leading to some already having to sell their boats.
"The cause is continuing to be investigated by the government and regional universities however chemical pollution seems like a large contributing factor."
The Whitby Lobster Hatchery is working closely with the universities to ensure the environment is safe for everyone, including their newly reared juvenile lobsters.
Once that is confirmed, they aim to be part of the solution by restoring the lobster populations via their release and research initiatives.
If you want to support the Whitby Lobster Hatchery, find them online at whitbylobsterhatchery.co.uk and sponsor a lobster.
Their £20 Christmas bundle is also available online.
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