Lobster Hatchery!
Open for the 2009 season. Come down to the Pictou waterfront and learn more about this great initiative.
Lighthouse Museum
Is here...
Lobster Stock Enhancement Research Project
A Partnership With the NFA
"Northumberland Fishermen's Association"
Stage IV Larvae Releases:
o June 23 – 3569, Toney River West
Total for June – 3569 Stage IVs
o July 3 – 2256, Toney River East
o July 20 – 4352, Caribou
o July 31 – 2024, Cape John
Total for July – 8632 Stage IV
o August 5 – 1155, Pictou Island East
o August 13 – 796, Skinner’s Cove
o August 26 – 3376, Skinner’s Cove
Total for August – 5327 Stage IVs
o September 2 – 2255, Barrachois Harbour
o September 9 – 4832, Wallace
Total up to September 14th – 7087 Stage IVs
Still producing as of Oct 19th
New 2009 Update Below
During the winter and spring of 2007, the Northumberland Fisheries Museum, in partnership with the Northumberland Fishermen’s Association, constructed a lobster hatchery facility in the new museum building located on the Pictou waterfront. The purpose of the hatchery was to raise Stage IV lobster larvae that would be provided to the NFA members for release on their fishing grounds in an effort to enhance the currently declining stocks of lobster.
In April 2007, the facility was commissioned and the tanks were filled with water.
Throughout the summer and fall, the hatchery raised seven batches of Stage IV lobster larvae and a total of 24,477 larvae were released.
They were given to the Northumberland Fishermen’s Association for release into various lobster fishing areas of the Northumberland Strait. During the first operating season for the lobster hatchery, the staff working at the facility developed procedures and protocols for all aspects of the operation.
These procedures were developed based on advice obtained from other people experienced with raising lobsters, through published information and for many aspects of the operation, through trial and error by the hatchery staff. An operating manual has been developed, which provides an overview of the recommended operating procedures based on the experience gained in the 2007 season.
LOBSTER HATCHERY 2009 Update
By Jennifer Feehan
Following last year’s success of raising and releasing 77,006 Stage IV lobster larvae to the Northumberland Strait, Hatchery Biologist Jennifer Feehan and Hatchery Technician Terry MacGrath were eager to return in 2009 for the Lobster Stock Enhancement Research Project’s third season of operation.
In early June, they were joined by Vanessa Oldford; a recent biology and aquaculture graduate of Memorial University. Vanessa was hired by the Fish Food and Allied Workers Union in collaboration with Memorial University to develop a lobster hatchery in Newfoundland. She was trained at the Pictou hatchery during a six week internship, which was a great opportunity to exchange aquaculture knowledge and expand networks.
CBC’s Land and Sea was in Pictou for two days in late June to shoot a special on lobster hatcheries. The Land and Sea crew filmed at the hatchery, and also accompanied fishermen out on their boats for a demonstration on how lobsters are fished and to observe the larvae release process. The episode, hosted by Mary Munson, is slated to air this fall.
In late August, a team of DFO researchers announced that they have been able to locate an abundance of young lobsters in areas where hatcheries have been releasing Stage IV larvae. The team plans to return to the Northumberland Strait next year to continue surveying the ocean floor.
Since its first season in 2007, the Pictou Lobster Hatchery has successfully released over 125, 000 dime length lobster larvae to the Northumberland Strait. Our continued success would not be possible without the valued help of local fishermen of the Northumberland Fishermen’s Association.
Hours Of Operation
Monday-Friday
10-5
Sunday
12-5
Closed Oct.1st
But will open by appointment for school tours
Random Lobster Fact:
