It would usually be a heartwarming story – hundreds of lobsters rescued from the pot and released back into the sea.
But a pair of Buddhists who released £5,000 worth of crustaceans into the Channel have been fined almost £15,000 for causing ‘untold damage’ to the environment.
Zhixiong Li and Ni Li helped throw live crabs and lobsters into the ocean a mile off the coast of Brighton as part of a life release ceremony in 2015.
Zhixiong Li and Ni Li helped throw live crabs and lobsters into the ocean a mile off the coast of Brighton as part of a life release ceremony in 2015
The ritual is done in the belief that returning animals to the wild is good karma. But the attempted act of kindness may have backfired, as the creatures – which are not native to British waters – could seriously threaten other marine life.
It has forced the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to spend thousands trying to recapture the American shellfish – even offering local fishermen £20 for every one they reeled in.
In the first case of its kind, banker Miss Li, 33, and estate agent Mr Li, 30, both from London, have pleaded guilty to releasing non-native species into the wild, which is a crime under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Anyone releasing native species into the sea also requires a licence.
Joseph Miller, prosecuting, said the case first came to light after a Brighton fisherman captured some of the foreign shellfish in June 2015. CCTV footage from Brighton Marina showed the group of Buddhists chartering three boats, having also bought native crabs and lobsters nearby.
It would usually be a heartwarming story – hundreds of lobsters rescued from the pot and released back into the sea
But further investigations found that 361 American lobsters and 350 Dungeness crabs, which are native to the Pacific, had been bought by Miss Li from a supplier in Greenwich.
Miss Li initially told investigators she had not realised the crustaceans were foreign species. But she later admitted to making up the story. The MMO has warned the local fishing industry could lose out as a result of the crustaceans killing native species.
So far 323 have been recovered but the most recent lobsters reeled in were found to have been carrying ‘viable eggs’. Miss Li was fined £5,300 and Mr Li £500. They were also ordered to pay £9,000 compensation to the MMO.
Miss Li initially told investigators she had not realised the crustaceans were foreign species. Pictured: Brighton Marina