Jul 2, 2008 3:01 pm US/Central
Giant Rocklobster Finds Home At Shedd Aquarium
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Traveling more than 9,700 miles from the Australian shores of the southern ocean, a giant Southern Rocklobster found itself a new home at the Shedd Aquarium.
As part of a display at the recent National Restaurant Association's annual convention, the 8-pound lobster was on hand to highlight Australia's environmentally sustainable fishing methods.
For his part, however, the rocklobster – affectionately nicknamed "Wow" by show goers because of his enormous size and vivid orange coloration – was spared the dinner table or a trip back home, and rewarded by joining Shedd's renowned animal collection.
"The lobster attracted so much attention at the show because he so clearly epitomizes the things Australia is recognized for – a clean, green environment; pristine waters; sustainable practices; and premium quality products and produce," said Ian Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of Australian Made, Australian Grown, a not-for-profit organization. "We knew of Shedd's strong commitment to the environment, sustainable fisheries, and to Australia, and we were compelled to call them with the hopes that the lobster could continue to educate the public about being good stewards of our planet. We were pleased that they were able to welcome him in so quickly."
With more than 32,000 animals representing nearly 1,600 species from around the world, Shedd Aquarium connects people to animals and the living world with the sole purpose of inspiring the public to make a difference in protecting and preserving the natural environment.
"That's why we decided to take the southern rocklobster in: he's a great ambassador for sustainable fishing practices and the species itself, and we plan to tell that story to our more than 2 million guests," said George Parsons, director of fishes at Shedd Aquarium. "Since animal care is our top priority, this colorful and super-sized lobster has a new lease on life, and will receive the very best animal and veterinary care."
According to Parsons, the lobster has successfully passed Shedd's quarantine period and he will be on permanent exhibit in Shedd's historic Oceans Coast gallery.
In addition to being an ambassador for southern rocklobsters, he will also tell another story in support of Shedd's successful Right Bite sustainable seafood program. "Eating seafood is good for you, but eating the right kind of seafood is good for our planet," said Michelle Jost, director of sustainable practices at Shedd. "By having this lobster on display, we will be able to continue to educate our public, as well as the seafood purveyors and restaurateurs that attended the show, about the importance of sustainable fishing and supply."
The lobster, which is believed to be about 15 years old, was donated by Southern Rocklobster Limited, a trading company for Australian Southern Rocklobster that is owned by local fishers.
According to Matthew Muggleton, CEO of Southern Rocklobster Limited USA, the lobster was harvested from the ocean off southern Australia under a world-first "Clean and Green" program, a supply chain-management strategy of sustainable harvesting of lobsters and protection of other marine life.
A unique "Track and Trace" program allows traceability of the rocklobster back to its original fishing ground, by visiting the Web site
www.southernrocklobster.com and entering the number on the plastic barcode tag attached to each lobster.
This lobster's tag, number 00009622, indicates he was caught by fisherman Anthony Titley on the vessel Patina III at Currie Harbour at pristine King Island, off the coast of Tasmania.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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