Giant Lobster to Return Home

An Eastern Shore restaurateur will return a mammoth lobster to its ocean home on Tuesday, July 21.

Shacky, a 16.6-pound (7.5-kilogram) behemoth, was named after its present home, the Lobster Shack just off Highway 7. The crustacean is estimate to be between 100 and 120 years old.

"It would be a shame to have something like this go into a cooking pot," said restaurant owner Adrian Blanchette.

Shacky was caught last month and auctioned at the annual Lobster Weigh-In at Jeddore. Mr. Blanchette paid $120 for it, and Shacky has boosted interest in his restaurant. Still, said Mr. Blanchette, that was only part of his motivation for the bid.

"Shacky attracts a lot of attention, especially to limits on catch size," he said. "She is a symbol for why we should leave the small ones alone."

On Tuesday morning, Mr. Blanchette will take Shacky back to its ocean home. They'll be accompanied by Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell, who called the move an important step for a sustainable industry.

"Raising lobster sizes means more of the young will have an opportunity to grow, mature and reproduce," he said.

This attitude is shared by local representatives in the area where Shacky was caught.

"The fishermen around here have a lot of respect for these big fellas," said Peter Connors, president of the Eastern Shore Fishermen's Protective Association. "Seeing them released back into the water makes them feel good about conservation."