TV presenter Noel Edmonds has sparked a backlash after buying live lobsters from a farm shop before releasing them into the sea.
The former Deal or No Deal host and his wife, Liz, were filmed returning the crustaceans to the water at Peel Harbour on the Isle of Man after purchasing them from a tank at a local farm shop.
In a clip shared on Instagram, Edmonds said that the couple felt “uncomfortable” seeing the lobsters confined in the tank and decided to buy them so they could be set free, as reported by Whats The Jam.
READ MORE: Fan throws pint at Bruno Mars before being launched into crowd by security
- Advertisement -
Noel said: “All right, this is one of those more bizarre things that happens with us.
“We were at a place where there were some lobsters in a tank, and we’re a little bit uncomfortable about the lobsters and tanks.
“So we bought the lobsters, and now Liz is going to release them.
“So here we go.
“Nice clear water in Peel Harbour.
- Advertisement -
“There they go.
“And we know this is nice fresh water because a moment ago a seal went past.
“Wonderful place.”
- Advertisement -
In response, Matt Harrison, owner of the farm shop said he’d be moving its lobster tank to a less prominent position and was considering removing it completely.
He said: “At the moment the tank is still in the shop but we’ve moved it.
“I’m sensitive to people’s feelings.
“But the vast majority of people want us to keep it and for us to keep supporting local businesses, which is the whole point of the shop.
“I’m still mulling over whether to keep it.
“There’s still lobsters in there; they’re really healthy.
“We’re just going to see what happens.
“But customers will be able to buy it in plenty of other places along the Peel seafront.”
He said the lobsters were caught near Peel by a local, young shellfish fisherman, who he had wanted to support.
Mr Harrison said the tank was charcoal-filtered, maintained weekly and kept at salinity levels matching the surrounding sea.
And the water was maintained at between 7.1C and 7.4C.
He said the lobsters were delivered approximately every one to two weeks and are rotated through the tank, meaning they were not normally kept there for more than a fortnight.
But some were not happy with Edmonds’ actions.
One said: “Lovely sentiment, but from a marine biologist perspective it’s best not to release captive lobsters.
“Disease transfer and genetic mixing are real concerns to native populations – also restaurants will order more lobsters and sell them knowing people will release them – you’re liable to big fines for doing this.”
Another said: “They didn’t have a chance the moment he removed them from tank.”
While a third said: “They’ve basically killed them.
“Look it up.
“You can’t release tanked lobsters into the sea for various reasons.”
READ MORE: Love Island star ‘missed key gossip’ in the villa thanks to hidden after-hours struggle
