Animal Activist Banned from Michelin Restaurant After 'Freeing' Educational Pet Lobster
Marine biologist Emma Smart, a 47-year-old animal rights activist, has been prohibited from going within 10 metres of a high-end Michelin Guide restaurant after she stormed into the establishment and released its educational pet lobster into a harbour. The incident, described by a judge as "deeply misguided," occurred at Catch at the Old Fish Market in Weymouth, Dorset, and has resulted in legal consequences for Smart.
Restaurant Confrontation and Harbour Release
At approximately 9pm on April 10 last year, Smart was waiting outside the entrance of the seafood restaurant as guests were departing. She then entered the premises and made directly for a fish tank, seizing a lobster despite attempts by two staff members to intervene. Barging past them, she exited the restaurant and leaned over a wall to release the creature into the nearby harbour. The lobster's subsequent survival remains unknown, as it was not seen again after being placed in the water.
Prosecutor Ben Thompson detailed the events in court, noting that the lobster had been owned by restaurant proprietor Anthony Cooper for two-and-a-half years and was not intended for sale. Instead, it served "educational" purposes for visiting children, helping to teach them about marine life. The Catch at the Old Fish Market is a notable Michelin Guide restaurant that has previously hosted diners such as Sir David Attenborough.
Legal Proceedings and Restraining Order
Smart appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court, where she admitted one count of causing criminal damage to a lobster. The Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence on charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal or assault, which related to allegations of Smart shoving a staff member. It was clarified in court that while some species of crayfish are endangered and protected, lobsters are not.
Defending, Kitan Ososami stated that Smart made an "impulsive" decision after seeing the lobster in the tank, driven by her deep care for animals and marine welfare. Smart, formerly of Rodwell Street in Weymouth and now residing in West Wales, received an eight-month conditional discharge. Additionally, the judge imposed a three-year restraining order, banning her from being within 10 metres of the restaurant or approaching its staff or guests.
Judge's Remarks and Prior Incidents
Her Honour Judge Susan Evans told Smart during sentencing: "The lobster was not there for consumption. It was there for educational purposes. You were determined to take it from the tank and you placed it in the harbour. It was a deeply misguided thing to have done. It was not a good thing for the lobster at all and whether or not it survived, we don't know."
This incident was not Smart's first encounter with the restaurant. She previously appeared in court over an event in 2022 when she attempted to force her way in to speak to Sir David Attenborough, urging him to support climate activists in prison. She was cleared of a charge related to failing to comply with a dispersal order after a judge ruled she had not been given sufficient time to comply. Smart had also been jailed for four months in November 2021 following an Insulate Britain climate protest, highlighting her history of activism.
The case underscores the tensions between animal rights advocacy and property rights, with the restaurant's educational aims contrasting with Smart's impulsive actions. The restraining order aims to prevent future disruptions at the establishment, which continues to operate as a Michelin-recognised venue on the harbour in Weymouth.
