BBC presenter Charlotte Smith visited The National Lobster Hatchery for a peek behind-the-scenes in a recent episode of Countryfile.

During her visit, Charlotte explored the hatchery and met with Ben Marshall, head of production, to learn about the marine conservation charity and the intricate work involved in rearing and releasing lobsters.

Nicola O’Donnell, chief operations officer at The National Lobster Hatchery, expressed her excitement about the feature: “We were thrilled to be asked to feature on BBC Countryfile, a fantastic programme to be a part of, and an incredible opportunity to raise awareness of our project, and engage a wider audience in conservation here in Cornwall.”

During the episode, viewers had the chance to see Charlotte Smith join the team for a baby lobster release. This exciting part of the charity’s work took place at Constantine Bay, where hundreds of juvenile lobsters were set free.

“We typically talk to thousands of people each year about the rearing and release of our lobsters, so to have our work shared with such a massive audience is a huge privilege and a wonderful way to highlight the charity as we head into our 25th year.” added Nicola O’Donnell. “We hope the segment on Countryfile will inspire viewers to visit the Hatchery and learn more about our work. For upcoming public releases follow @padstowlobster on social media.”

Conservation, research and education charity the National Lobster Hatchery (NLH) was recently crowned the winner of the Stewardship and Sustainability Award at the inaugural 2018 Scottish Marine Aquaculture Awards.

Aquaculture involves the cultivating of fish, crustaceans or molluscs under controlled conditions. 

Organisers said the 2018 Scottish Marine Aquaculture Awards “celebrated the achievements of a sector that is vitally important to the national economy as well as coastal communities that are economically fragile”.

The NLH won for its pioneering Lobster Grower 2 project, a three-year collaborative research programme that aims to investigate the potential of rearing juvenile European lobsters to even larger sizes in sea-based container culture systems at St Austell Bay.

For more information about The National Lobster Hatchery and to support their work visit www.nationallobsterhatchery.co.uk