Thank You Damselfish, I stand corrected. I did a little research and checked with the Lobster Institute. They say that an American Lobster (Maine) takes between 5 to 7 years to reach legal size to harvest (3.25 inch carapace). They also note that lobsters take from 5 to 8 years to reach adulthood. (Visit this site:
http://www.lobsterinstitute.org/index.php?page=48)
Isn't there a lobster farm on the Big Island that raises the Maine lobster much faster than that? I thought we used to get them at a (now closed) restaurant named Margarita's here on Maui. They were the Maine lobster but farm raised rather quickly (genetically modified?) in chilled water over there. Anyone know anything about this?
I found this also but it's quite dated:
[REPORT ON THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY
19TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND EXPOSITION, HONOLULU, HAWAII, U.S.A.
4–10 JANUARY 1988 AND
SOME NOTES ON AQUACULTURE IN HAWAII
by
Herminio R. Rabanal1
The second tour is the big island (Hawaii Island) aquaculture tour which consisted of a visit to the National Energy Research Laboratory of Hawaii (NERLH) in Kona, where the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) project utilizes cold, deep ocean water, for aquaculture projects. Cultured on site ace abalone, microalgae, seaweed, American lobster and salmon; and also a visit to the Aquatic Culture and Design Farm (Chinese catfish, prawns).]
After even more digging on the web I found this:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3089/is_2_61/ai_65133664/pg_62
[Homarid Lobster Hatcheries: Their History and Role in Research, Management, and Aquaculture
In 1988 AE (Aquaculture Enterprises) relocated to Hawaii where they now raise lobsters by mixing the warm surface waters off Hawaii with the deep colder waters, thereby achieving a 22 [degrees] C temperature in which the lobsters thrive. AE has also developed special husbandry techniques incorporating a plastic grid of their own design (Anonymous, 1990) and their own feeding techniques using local fishing waste (Loupe, 1991). In 1990, AE had some 5,000 animals in residence (Anonymous, 1990). Currently, AE is working on broodstock strains, testing feeding rations, and experimenting with prototype production equipment (Wilson(22)).
Kona Cold Lobster, Ltd. in Hawaii is currently farming a unique blue lobster. By mating the H. americanus with an H. gammarus, the result is a hybrid lobster that is bright blue in color. Their product is being marketed to the aquarium trade and as a garnish for seafood platters in up-scale restaurants (HAAC, 1996).]
I looked hard but can't seem to find official info about the rate of maturity for our Hawaiian Spiny lobster. It sure would be nice to know....