Take a short walk from our shop on Sandgate and you will find yourself on the Fish Pier, where you can sit and watch the comings and goings of Whitby’s working harbour.
If you’re up early enough, you’ll spot the cobbles making their way through the pier ends as the early morning sun dapples the water.
Later you’ll be alerted to their return by the seagull’s call, as they flock around the vessels hoping to swoop for a discarded fish or two.
These days, the fleet of boats fishing from Whitby is much depleted. But Joe Redfern is hoping to turn things around in Whitby and is undertaking a project which will see the Fish Market being brought to life, and help support and sustain the fishing industry for years to come.
After completing a master’s degree in Marine Biology, and working as a lobster fisherman amongst other water-based roles, Joe has championed the idea of creating a lobster hatchery in Whitby. With the goal of releasing 100,000 juvenile lobsters into the ocean each year.
The project, which is now well underway, will help conserve the local lobster population, while supporting the local fishermen and women – who are working closely alongside Joe, as well as providing a hub for research and education.
Within the walls of the fish market sit a collection of tanks and specialist equipment, carefully homing female lobsters protecting their eggs, and nurturing the tiny juvenile lobsters that hatch, provided warmth, nutrition and a space free of predators, before their release back into the wild North Sea.
To help support Joe in his mission, we are selling cast iron lobster bottle openers and for every sale we are giving £3 to the hatchery.
It costs just £1 to raise a juvenile lobster so when you buy one lobster you’re helping to raise and release three.
Available in store at 11 Sandgate, Whitby, and on our website.
