The day before the lobster was due to be sent back to Canada landlord Jo Taveirne found his giant 7-kilogram lobster dead in his aquarium this morning. The lobster had looked like a nice publicity stunt for his brasserie in Harelbeke (West Flanders), but Jo came in for buckets of criticism following his purchase of the creature. So much so, that he had decided to return his lobster ‘Mignolet’ to its native Canada. Sadly, this is now not to be.
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70-year-old giant lobster ‘Mignolet’ dies before it can be repatriated to Canada
Colin Clapson
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Giant lobster ‘Mignolet’ was supposed to be the showpiece of Jo Taveirne's brasserie in Harelbeke. Jo named the animal after Club Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. He bought the lobster through his fishmonger and had it flown over from Canada especially. ‘The intention was to put it in the homarium (i.e. the lobster aquarium) in my business,’ he told local media.
But Jo was the target of considerable online abuse. Customers accused him of being an animal torturer and did not show up for reservations. So, he finally decided to send the lobster back. That was going to happen tomorrow. ‘But this morning I found him dead. He had also lost a leg. I suspect another lobster did that! Though you never know for sure.’
‘He may have died of old age. He was already over 70 years old.’
Lobster buried on the banks of the Leie?
The flight back to Canada was set to cost Jo 1,000 euros. ‘I don't know yet if I can cancel the flight. I still have to look all that up’ the brasserie landlord said
And what about the lobster? ‘Maybe I'll bury it here on the banks of the River Leie, with a gravestone bearing its name.’