FOREIGN lobster and crabs have been found in fishing nets after a religious group set free £2,000 worth of shellfish into the sea.

The group, thought to be Buddhists, bought 200 lobster and crabs, before hiring fishing boats from Brighton Marina and ceremoniously returning them to the waves.

An investigation has now been launched amid concerns the non-native species of Canadian lobster and Dungeoness crab could cause serious damage to the eco-system.

The group ordered 100kg of local lobsters and 70kg of spider crabs from Brighton and Newhaven Fish Sales at Shoreham Harbour, then chartered three boats from Ross Boat Trips at Brighton Marina.

More than 100 members of the group - dressed in lavish clothes staged a "noisy ceremony" in which the crustaceans were released into the sea last week.

But after fishermen caught foreign species in their nets the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) launched an investigation.

A member of staff from Brighton and Newhaven Fish Sales who did not want to be named said: "We had a character come in wanting to buy native lobsters and spider crabs which he wanted to return to the sea.

"It also appears a number of Canadian lobsters and Dungeoness crabs may have been bought from someone else and also released.

"It seems they then took them down to Brighton Marina, chartered a fishing boat, took them out to sea and dropped them over the side. There is no problem at all with releasing native lobsters and crab back into the wild as long as you take the rubber bands off their claws, but non-native species can be a real issue.

"We have been having a lot of conversations with the Marine Management Oranisation about this."

David Ross, of Ross Boat Trips said: "They booked three boats then turned up with a whole load of lobsters and crabs.

"Then they had a ceremony as they released them.

"They were quite flamboyant and caused quite a stir because there were 120 of them."

A spokesman for the MMO said it was not known exactly how many foreign fish had be released off the Sussex coast, but they were investigating.

It is a criminal offence punishable by up to two years in prison to release non-native species into the wild due to the damage non-native species can cause the eco-system.

In a statement the MMO said: "A small number of fishermen on the Sussex coast are reporting catches of non-native lobsters (Canadian Homarus americanus) and crabs (Metacarcinus magister) in an area in the vicinity of Brighton on the Sussex coast.

"Under no circumstances should any non-native species be released back into the sea as release could impact native species and constitute an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981."

Anyone who finds non-native lobsters or crabs is asked to keep the animals (regardless of size) and report the matter to the MMO office at Shoreham on 01273 424849, or take them to a local fish merchant.

Buddhist centre sides with the lobsters

LIFE RELEASE is a Buddhist tradition of saving lives of animals that are destined to be killed.

The practise is performed by most schools of Buddhism.

Animals are blessed before being returned to their natural environment as prayers are made and often dedicated to someone who is ill or has died.

Buddhists believe that those who practise life release will also benefit the person releasing the animal back into the wild.

In China, life release has become big business with Buddhist groups spending more than $1 million a year buying animals to be set free.

Brighton Buddhist Centre said they were not involved in the most recent release of lobsters and crabs into the wild but a spokeswoman said: “I’m with the lobsters”.