Egg bearing Female Atlantic Lobster Hauled up in Trap off Vancouver Island
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Vancouver Sun] by Tiffany Crawford, Larry Pynn Aug 29, 2014
West Vancouver resident Blair Calkins was prawn fishing on the weekend during an excursion to Bowen Island when he came across an unexpected creature in one of his traps: a large Atlantic female lobster, stuffed with eggs.
Not knowing whether he should release the alien species back into the Pacific, Blair said he called the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on Saturday, but by Tuesday was still waiting for someone to return his call. The lobster is sitting in a tank, and Blair said he will likely release it back on the south end of Bowen Island within the next couple of days, in hopes that it will survive.
"The eggs look pretty ripe," he said. "We were all shocked. We had a couple of people who work in the fish industry on our boat and they were shocked too."
UBC marine biologist and professor of zoology Christopher Harley said occasionally someone will find an Atlantic lobster in the Pacific, but the sightings are rare, and whether there are established populations here remains a mystery.
"Since there are no native lobsters here, they must have been released by somebody," he said. "When you have a combination of live seafood markets and members of the public who feel that it's not fair to the animals, then you have people buying them to set them free."..
To Read Full Story Login Below.