Lobster farming involves raising juvenile lobsters to adulthood for commercial sale. Farmers use pens, cages, or ponds with appropriate salinity and temperature. Lobsters are fed ground waste fish and separated by size and gender. Harvesting involves carefully removing live lobsters for packaging.
A lobster farm generally raises and farms lobsters which are then sold commercially for human consumption. Production usually begins with the rearing of juvenile lobsters to adulthood. The adults are raised and sold as the next generation of lobsters replenish the stock. Lobster farmers typically reside along warm coastal areas or in locations with large bodies of water. The industry is common in Vietnam and Cambodia along with some Middle Eastern countries and Australia.
Lobster farmers who reside along ocean shores can build lobster pens along the coast. Bamboo posts provide the corner foundations of the fence which is mostly made up of netting. The enclosure usually comprises about 215 square feet (20 m squared). Lobster farm pens of this size can hold up to 200 fry or juvenile lobsters, with an average length of 1.5 to 2.75 cm. Instead of pens, some lobster farmers use floating or stationary wooden cages located in a central area.
Others may use submerged wire mesh cages. The size of these containers varies, but farmers usually allow 10 square feet (1m squared) for 10 growing lobsters. The water in the cages reproduces the lobster’s natural environment, having the appropriate salinity and temperature. Some lobster farming operations involve purpose-built, pond-like, terrestrial environments.
Land-based lobster ponds typically have salinity levels of 1% to 1.2%. These ponds must be fortified with calcium which lobsters need to maintain a hard shell. Lobsters are air-breathing creatures, and lobster breeding ponds generally receive mechanical aeration. The water is also kept at the right temperature and cleaned periodically for disease prevention. Lobsters typically receive ground waste fish and other marine life as food.
Commercial fishermen usually supply a lobster farm with spiny lobster seeds or wild animals. Having aggressive territorial arrangements, only similarly sized lobsters are grown in the same area. Females are usually separated from the population and kept in special containers. The eggs are carried under its tail until they hatch.
The offspring remain in captivity until large enough to survive in pens or ponds. Warm water lobsters mature in about two years. Cold-water lobsters take five to seven years to reach the correct size and weight. Maturity levels vary around the world. American markets require mature lobsters to weigh at least 1 lb (453 g), while some Asian countries prefer smaller lobsters.
Lobster harvesting generally involves carefully removing live, mature lobsters with nets. The lobsters are then placed in containers of sea water until they are packaged. Lobster packets typically contain materials soaked in seawater and ice, which keep the lobster alive and fresh.
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