TikToker Jacob Knowles (@jacob__knowles) is a fifth-generation lobster fisherman with a following of 3 million on TikTok. He has built his platform by documenting his lobster fishing adventures and sharing his expertise on all things lobster-related.
One of the highlights of his page is a recurring video series called “The Claw Spa,” in which he fishes lobsters and crabs from the waters of Maine and gives them a “spa treatment.” In these videos, he removes barnacles from their shells, cleans them up, and offers them a snack before returning them to the ocean.
In a recently uploaded video from this series, Knowles fishes out a female lobster he calls a “huge egger” and explains how he protects lobsters capable of reproducing.
“Look at all of her eggs hanging off of her,” he says, encouraging viewers to take a closer look. He flips over the lobster, revealing hundreds of thousands of small dark green eggs attached to her underside.
“She’s got so many of them. These are fresh eggs. She just pushed them out. You can see how dark green they are. She probably has 40,000 to 50,000 eggs,” he explains.
How Do Fishermen Protect Lobsters?
“Lobsters are actually protected here in Maine,” Knowles continues. “This is one of the ways we help keep the population sustainable. We track them by giving them a V-notch on the second flipper on the right side of their tail,” he explains as he clips a small V-shaped notch into her tail.
“That V-notch means this lobster is capable of reproducing. Once she has the notch, it’s illegal to keep her. So, if a fisherman catches her in the future, and she doesn’t have eggs, the V-notch tells them she can’t be kept.”
V-notching: A Conservation Method
According to The Guardian, “V-notching is a conservation method used to help replenish lobster stocks. Some trace the origins of the practice back to the Orkney Islands, while others attribute it to the Gulf of Maine, where it has been used since 1917.”
A report from the University of Maine called V-notching “an exemplar for success,” noting that 87.5 percent of fishermen interviewed approved of the practice.
Knowles’ viral video has 892,400 views, with hundreds of viewers praising his conservation efforts.
“Bro just saved her life,” one viewer commented. “Yay! More lobstahs to come!” another added.
@jacob__knowles Replying to @Kanikuura Punch N lunch special at the claw spa. No barnacles on this one! #maine #lobster #clawspa #ocean #interesting #didyouknow #educate #learn #sustainable #seafood ♬ original sound – Jacob Knowles
Does V-Notching Hurt Lobsters?
However, some viewers raised questions, wondering if V-notching causes pain.
“Do they feel the notch? It’s kinda like the lobster equivalent of getting their ears pierced,” one commenter asked.
The Guardian states that “clipping a section of a lobster’s tail fan is not thought to cause the crustacean any pain.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Jacob Knowles via email for comment.
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