Foreign invader Why it is illegal to let them loose

It is illegal to release nonnative lobster species back into the ocean under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Import of Live Fish Act 1980.

This is because the lobster could not only infect the local population with foreign diseases but survive to breed, threatening native species and potentially leading to their extinction.

Anyone releasing non-native species into the wild risks a fine and up to six months in prison.