The charming Jean explained that the little lobsters can easily fit on your fingertip at the time they're stocked. In the photo, you can see tiny lobsters in the cells of a hatchery tray from the Aquahive nursery system. The one in the centre of the image has just moulted, as you can see its old bluish shell, called exuviae.

To compensate 3 to 5% of the annual catches, the RPPSG produces in hatchery lobster larvae which are released on the seabed of the Gaspé Peninsula. The culture strategy is based on the Aquahive ™, an innovative nursery system designed specifically for lobster. In 2020, the millionth hatchery-reared baby lobster was released back to sea for a total, since 2010, of more than 1 093 000 lobsters seeded at stage V to reach the minimum catch size 6 to 8 years after their release at sea.

So there! Keep on enjoying lobster - Jean is keeping an eye on the generations to come.