A whopping 23-pound lobster caught off the coast of St. Martins, N.B. has been returned to the sea, thanks to a vegan from Halifax.
The Alma Lobster Shop was trying to figure out what to do with King Louis and received a number of suggestions from the public.
But it was a call from Katie Conklin Tuesday morning that saved the king-sized crustacean from an uncertain fate.
The self-proclaimed animal lover and vegan says her grandfather alerted her to CTV Atlantic’s story about the unlucky lobster and she knew she had to help.
“I rallied up a couple dollars and bought him, and bought him to save him,” said Conklin. “It’s really about giving him a second chance … I just hope he carries his genes and he lives a happy life.”
At $10 a pound, Conklin shelled out $230 to save King Louis from the lobster pot.
“It’s a substantial amount but I truly believe that your dollar is your vote, and this was a substantial vote, but … I try to treat every human and every animal with equality.”
The owners of the Alma Lobster Shop granted Conklin’s wish and released King Louis back into the Bay of Fundy Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m fine with that. Good for them,” said Brittney MacDonald. “This is kind of how we make our living though. My husband is a lobster fisherman and we sell his lobster and that’s how we survive.”
With King Louis secured in his crate, the ‘Thankful Too’ steamed out of port and fisherman Rodney MacDonald did what comes unnaturally to a lobster fisherman – set the crustacean free.
“We buy over a million pounds a year and this is the biggest, and the first one we’ve ever released in this way,” said MacDonald.
Now that he’s back in the Bay of Fundy, research scientist Adam Cook says King Louis can live an even longer life, as long as he stays away from lobster traps.
“With good handling practices, being kept in decent sea water, it has a high chance of survival,” said Cook.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jonathan MacInnis
