The Marine Management Organisation is helping fishermen on the south coast to publicise a problem they are having with non-native American lobsters that have been illegally released into the sea - and could pose a threat to British species.
Five of the bigger and more aggressive lobsters konwn as Amarus Americanus which can carry a bacterial blood disease, gaffkaemia, have been caught in pots in recent weeks. The fear is that valuable stocks of the high quality native European lobster could be threatened.
Chris Parry, chairman of the MMO has discussed the issue with fishermen on a visit to Selsey in Sussex a few days ago. The MMO has since alerted the media and the issue has been widely publicised.
He pointed out that there is a maximum penalty of £5,000 and/or two years' imprisonment for releasing non-native lobsters into the wild under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981.One theory is that mis-guided animal lovers released them believing they were doing good.
The MMO’s Shoreham office says it is is monitoring the situation and keeping marine scientists at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) informed.
District Marine Officer, Paul Johnson said “As a result of the publicity, people have already come forward with possible sources of the illegal release of these lobsters.Anyone with information should contact the MMO’s Shoreham office on 01273 424 849. It will be treated in the strictest confidence.”
This American breed of lobster is normally found on the Atlantic coast of the United States, and generally thrives in cold shallow waters where it feeds on fish and small crustaceans. Its main natural predators are cod and haddock. But a dramatic reduction in cod stocks due to overfishing has allowed the lobster population to grow rapidly.
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