Noel Edmonds has admitted that the lobsters he freed from a tank into the sea may now be dead, following a backlash over his actions.
Edmonds responds to criticism
The 77-year-old sparked debate last week after he and his wife attempted to rescue the crustaceans, with some questioning how long they would survive once back in the water, and others warning of the risks associated with handling lobsters and returning them to the ocean.
Animal rights group Peta, however, praised Noel for his 'compassion' and said: 'While they may not survive in the wild, they had avoided being boiled alive and meeting a worse fate.'
Elisa Allen, Peta UK's Vice President, told LadBible: 'Such compassion is all too rare in today's world, especially for the smallest or least understood forms of life.'
Addressing the backlash
After turning off comments on his original video, Noel addressed the situation with a five-minute monologue to his followers. In it, he said: 'Yes, I concede we probably only delayed the inevitable. But hey? Maybe those two lobsters are still out there […] having a wonderful, wonderful time.'
The former Deal or No Deal host began his video by stating: 'It's finally time to talk about lobsters and pork pies.' He went on to claim there had been some 'minxy people' telling some 'absolutely whopping pork pies about the whole saga of the lobster and the Isle of Man farm shop.'
How he acquired the lobsters
Explaining how he came about acquiring them, Noel told of how his wife, Liz Davies, had spotted them and said: '"Oh I feel sorry for them in the tank."'
Continuing, he explained how Matt Harrison, from the shop, had told her: '"You're not the first person to say that actually."' From there, they paid for the pair and transported them in a box that Noel said Matt advised was a 'very similar' temperature to where they came from. The married couple then released them into the water at Peel Harbour.
Expert warnings
A report from the University of Maine on 'Best Practices in Handling of the American Lobster' warned against handling lobsters. It said: 'Limit handling time as much as possible. […] Damage to the shell could lead to greater risk of disease or death, and impacts the overall quality of the lobster.'
Although Noel said the lobsters in the shop were local, the UK's Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science also warns about the threat of releasing American lobsters in native waters as they are larger and have a 'competitive advantage'.
Shop owner responds
After the video went live last week, Matt spoke to Isle of Man Today and said they had moved the tank 'away from the front door, so it's slightly less in people's faces'. He went on and said the 'vast majority' of people wanted them to keep it and keep 'supporting local'.
Although, he admitted: 'I'm still mulling it over […] we're just going to see what happens over the next few days.'
