In Japan, tank-bred lobster larvae may boost fishery stocks

Tokyo

THE Ise ebi spiny lobster is the epitome of luxury food from the seas surrounding Japan. In Mie Prefecture, a famous production centre of this "champion of the seashore", efforts are being made to achieve stable production by artificially breeding its larvae. Last autumn, juvenile lobsters raised in captivity were confirmed to be surviving on reefs, bringing researchers one step closer to realising their goal.

In the southern part of the Shima Peninsula, famous for its pearl cultivation, is the Mie Prefecture Fisheries Research Institute. Peering into the cylindrical water tanks they had there, I could see spider-like creatures moving about on long slender legs attached to transparent bodies.