UPY 2025

UPY  Save our Seas Foundation Marine Conservation - Runner Up
'Helping Hands for Cornwall's Lobsters'
Lewis Jefferies

A technician from The National Lobster Hatchery (NLH) releases juvenile lobsters into a rockpool at St. Michael’s Mount, Cornwall. The NLH in Padstow receives egg-bearing female lobsters from local fishermen, and then care for them in captivity until they release their eggs. The hatchlings are reared through their smallest, vulnerable stages before being released into the wild. A process that increased their chances of survival by up to 1,000 times! Stock enhancement initiatives like this complement fisheries management measures to help conserve and sustain exploited, commercially valuable species.
This image was the culmination of several years of voluntary work with The NLH shooting their story. I used a split shot technique to include many elements, using St. Michael’s Mount to establish the location above the water line along with hands holding the lobster container, whilst showing the marine habitat below with the tiny lobsters swimming off into the rockpool.

Judge's comment: A polished photograph that tells a detailed story in an eye catching photograph. It was great to see more photographers turning their talents and their lenses towards positive conservation stories in this year's contest.
Alex Mustard