The water is filtered to remove any harmful bacteria

But an organisation is coming to the rescue of the crustaceans in the Cornish fishing village of Padstow.

The National Lobster Hatchery hopes to release about 10,000 juvenile lobsters into coastal waters around the region this year.

The hatchery's breeding programme was nearly wiped out in 2003, following pollution in the River Camel.

Plankton diet

The hatchery spent about �80,000 to upgrade equipment at the centre and has now minimised the threat of pollution by using synthetic seawater for parts of the rearing process.

Dylan Taylor, the manager of the hatchery, says the aim is to increase the number of young lobsters reintroduced into the sea each year.

He said: "Fishermen bring the lobsters to us or we collect them and they get introduced into one of the tanks until the eggs are ready to hatch.

"They normally hatch within one or two weeks and the larvae are then transferred to special rearing cones where they're fed on plankton that we actually produce here at the hatchery.

"The water is put through filters to sterilise it and remove any bacteria and keep the water clean and after being fed on the plankton for about two weeks, they transform into miniature lobsters."

The hatchery then returns the young lobsters to the sea in an effort to boost falling stocks, although it takes several years for them to reach maturity.

The hatchery is funded through its visitor centre where people can see the hatchery processes and learn about sustainable fishery.