A GROUP based at North Berwick Harbour will see its lobster plans hatch after receiving more than £140,000 in funding – with three part-time jobs set to be created.

Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery was the beneficiary of a £143,156 grant from the Coastal Communities Fund.

The hatchery aims to release thousands of juvenile lobsters throughout the Firth of Forth every year, helping sustain fishing communities in East Lothian and Fife.

It is also hoped that the hatchery could operate as a tourist attraction.

It is reward for the tireless work the group has put in for more than three years to get the project off the ground.

In 2012, the group was set to receive £64,000 funding from an East Lothian Council-backed grant, only for it to be withdrawn.

Now with funding secured to cover two years, the group’s five directors – Jane McMinn, Jack Dale, David Grubb, David Reid and John McCarter – can get to work developing a lobster hatchery based within North Berwick Harbour, in a new container that will house both the hatchery equipment and develop its small visitor centre.

“I’m still getting over it myself,” Jane told the Courier. “I am absolutely over the moon.

“We were disheartened [to have the money withdrawn in 2012] but we were never going to give up.

“An additional blow was the storm at the end of [2012]. Last year we struggled to get the portacabin up and running with displays.

“We put in applications and they are never straight forward. We never really thought we’d get this far or this much.

“We are absolutely overjoyed and we can’t wait to get going.” The group hopes to have the hatchery up and running by June, although it requires a lot of work on different aspects of the project, including the appointment of three employees.

“We are going to employ three part-time employees: two technicians and a project administrator,” said Jane.

“We’re hoping things will be in place by June this year, which will be a big ask. We have to design a visitors’ centre and get a container ready.” The group still has use of the old changing rooms at the harbour, with the new container set to be placed in front.

She added: “[The funding] should allow us to do a full production hatchery, capable of producing 40,000 juveniles.

“The 40,000 is a theoretical production [over the two years]. Next year we hope to get up to 20,000.

“Why we keep the lobsters until [they are fairly developed] is that they look like mini-lobsters. If you release them [earlier] they would be fish food for predators. It gives them a better chance of survival.” With support from the community, including fishermen, the group is looking to attract more volunteers to the project, as well as working with with local businesses and schools.

To find out more about the hatchery project and to volunteer, email Jane McMinn on msjanemcminn@hotmail.co.uk