Lobster Grower 2 - Assessing the technical, economic and environmental potential for a novel candiadate aquaculture species.

Support from the Agri-tech catalyst has been secured for a 36 month project, addressing fundamental

food security challenges by examining novel angles to expand aquaculture; to include a species not

currently exploited, the European Lobster. This species commands the highest value (by volume) of any

species landed in the UK and exhibits a significant supply deficit. Sea based culture, in containers (SBCC)

exhibits the potential for a low carbon form of rearing with no feed costs. The project will use containers

specifically designed for the species, developed in an early stage project, to assess performance and

develop holistic application of SBCC systems. The project will run a pilot scale lobster farm to gather

practical, operational, environmental, biological, engineering, economic and social data that can be used

to develop an essential tool to encourage and inform future investment. The consortium will be led by

the National Lobster Hatchery and consists of two SME's, two HEI's and a Government Agency.