Growth, movement, recapture rate and survival of hatchery-reared lobsters (Homarus gammarus (Linnaeus, 1758)) released into the wild on the English east coast

Published source details Bannister R.C.A., Addison J.T. & Lovewell S.R.J. (1994) Growth, movement, recapture rate and survival of hatchery-reared lobsters (Homarus gammarus (Linnaeus, 1758)) released into the wild on the English east coast. Crustaceana, 67, 156-172.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Transplant/release captive-bred or hatchery-reared species - Transplant/release crustaceans Action Link

Transplant/release captive-bred or hatchery-reared species - Transplant/release crustaceans

A study in 1983–1992 in one seabed area off the east coast of England, North Sea, UK (Bannister et al. 1994) estimated that between 50–84% of the initial number of released hatchery-reared European lobsters Homarus gammarus survived and increased in size for up to eight years in the wild. Lobsters recaught reached 85 mm (legal catch size) within four to eight years after release. Between 1983 and 1988, hatchery-reared lobsters (49,000 in total) were tagged and released across an area of 30 x 8 km onto cobbles and boulders at 80 locations (10–15 m depth). At time of release, lobsters were three months old with carapaces measuring 15 mm in length. Between 1988 and 1992, a recapture programme caught a total of 56,700 lobsters, of which 621 were tagged lobsters previously released. The carapaces of recaptured tagged lobsters were measured. It is not known if the number of uncaught tagged lobsters was due to mortality or recapture effort. Percentage survival of the 49,000 released lobsters was estimated from the recapture programme catch-rate data.

(Summarised by: Anaëlle Lemasson)