TWO Buddhists who helped release foreign crabs and lobsters into the sea in a misguided bid to save their lives caused “significant” harm to the environment.

Zhixiong Li organised the boat trip from Brighton Marina in 2015 in which hundreds of Buddhists threw thousands of live crustaceans into the water.

Ni Li bought more than £5,000 worth of lobsters and crabs for the pilgrimage.

Almost 1,000 people celebrating the visit of Taiwanese Buddhist master Hai Tao hired three boats for their “life release” ceremony a mile off the coats of Brighton in the summer of 2015.

But the animals were not native species and their attempted act at kindness caused “untold damage” to marine life as the animals could take over from and mate with native species.

The Government paid out thousands of pounds trying to recapture the shellfish - offering fishermen a bounty to reel in the alien invaders.

In the first ever case of its kind the pair have admitted wildlife offences and been fined. City banker Ni Li, 33, of Rotherhithe Street, London, and estate agent Zhixiong Li, 30, of Greyhound Hill, London, both pleaded guilty to releasing non-native species into the wild at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

Joseph Miller prosecuting for the Marine Management Organisation said that the case first came to light after a Brighton fisherman captured some of the foreign shellfish in June 2015.

Brighton Marina CCTV showed the group of Buddhists chartering three boats, having also bought more than £2,500 worth of native crabs and lobsters from Brighton and Newhaven Fish Sales at Shoreham Harbour.

Mr Miller said Mr Li (Zhixiong) had bought the local shellfish and hired the boat.

Investigators then found that 361 American lobsters and 350 Dungeness (US) crabs had been bought from a wholesale fish supplier SeeWoo in Greenwich and traced the purchase to Miss Li (Ni).

Mr Miller said: “Ni Li said they had been intended to be released as part of a Buddhist ceremony with no intention to harm them.

“Zhixiong had asked her to buy as many as possible. Miss Li followed the delivery to Brighton . Miss Li then lied to investigators saying she hadn’t realised the crabs and lobsters were foreign species and had taken them back home and kept them in a bath of saltwater. She later admitted she had made up the story. Zhixiong said he had asked [the boats owner] David Ross if he had to report the release to any authority, he said no as long as the animals were local.

“Ni Li brought them from London then they went out on three boats and released them into the water. He said he knew it was an offence to release non native species but said he thought they were native.”

Mr Miller said the MMO had to charter boats to try to recover the foreign crustaceans and had offered local fishermen a £20 bounty for every one they captured - but said so far only 323 had been recovered and the most recent American lobsters found had been carrying “viable eggs” showing they had been breeding.

District judge William Ashworth said : “The release of non active species into the marine environment is regulated precisely because the potential impact on native fish stocks could be significant.

“Unfortunately not all these specimens have been recovered and the last few demonstrated that the lobsters are capable of breeding and producing viable offspring, The full impact of what you did is not known.

“Clearly this was not your intention. There was no deliberate sabotage but both of you were at the very least negligent. You had between you a certain amount of knowledge about what you could and could not do and you both told untruth to the investigators.”

Miss Li was fined £5,300 and Mr Li £500. They were also ordered to pay £9,000 compensation.

RELIGIOUS GROUP BEHIND RELEASE OF DEADLY COBRAS

THE BUDDHIST ritual of “fang sheng”, or life release, involves saving the lives of animals destined for slaughter.

Life relief ceremonies are a significant part of pilgrimages and the Brighton event was part of a visit by Buddhist Master Hai Tao to the UK.

Around 1,000 pilgrims are thought to have taken part in events involving the revered master, and the life release ceremony was supposed to be a highlight of the trip.

The principle belief is that returning animals to the wild restores karma.

But Master Hai Tao’s follower’s have got into trouble before for their attempts to save lives.

In 2012, followers of the Buddhist master released 100kg of deadly cobras in a mountainous area not native to the snakes.

The Taiwanese Forestry Bureau was considering introducing laws to prevent the ill-conceived practise Lai Chien-Cheng, of the Taiwan Society of Wilderness, found one of the cobras dead in the road.

“This was not giving the snake life, but death,” he said.

Master Hai Tao is the figurehead of a TV station promoting his teachings.

He is also something of a celebrity in Taiwan.

Mr Chien-cheng added that a lot of Buddhist groups release turtles and fish at night at Shuanglianpi, Taiwan, with thousands set free each time.

He said it has caused an ecological disaster and he is now calling for action to stop the activity.

Master Hai Tao has a reputation for releasing millions of animals.

Last month he posted on Facebook: “Among various sins, killing generates the most detrimental karma.

“Among various virtues, life release (and protection) is the foremost act.”

The LifeTV website, of which he is the figurehead, lists regular life release events around the world. As recently as last month, Master Hai Tao was scheduled to visit a London temple.

Brighton Magistrates’ Court was told that had Ni Li and Zhixiong Li had been aware that the crabs and lobsters they bought and released could do such significant harm to the environment it would not have complied with their Buddhist beliefs.

The fishmonger who sold Ni Li the catch for £5,000 assumed that as the crustaceans were being bought in central London, the American lobsters and Dungeness (US) crabs were for a genuine catering event.

Part of the reason the Brighton group had to buy so many crabs and lobsters from the Greenwich wholesale fish supplier, meaning they ended up with non native species, was because they could not order the shellfish in advance.

Ordering in the crabs would have meant more being caught and killed to meet demand, Paul Tapsell, defending Mr Li said.

Mr Tapsell said that lifelong Buddhist Mr Li had already bought all of the crustaceans in stock at Brighton and Newhaven Fish sales when he discovered hundreds more pilgrims could be taking part in the ceremony and he did not want to let down the lama.

Mr Tapsell added: “He accepts that in releasing these crabs and lobsters he in fact did the exact opposite of what he wanted to do.”

Tim Ryan, defending Miss Li, said: “As a practising Buddhist in 2015 she was working to assist the Buddhist group LifeTV.

“One of the tasks was a release ceremony in Brighton.

“You will see the importance she places on her Buddhist religion.

“The reality was the account she gave to the investigators was not true.

She was trying to protect the charity.

“Without a doubt she is a bright, hard working and intelligent young woman who takes on too much in a voluntary capacity.

“She is perhaps a little naive and that’s what’s got her in to this business.

“The potential harm of what they did may or may not materialise.”

However, the group’s naivety led to negligent behaviour, district judge William Ashworth ruled.

Their actions will mean that not only the lives of many of the 600-odd crustaceans they released have been lost but also potentially countless more marine life could be affected by cross breeding and attacks on their habitat.

The MMO said that the lasting effects of the events of June 17, 2015, may never be fully known.

The organisation warned only the sealife was likely to suffer.

The local fishing industry could also lose out as a result of the foreign crustaceans killing the native species.

THREAT FROM AGGRESSIVE INVADERS

MARINE experts have found that more than two years after hundreds of foreign crabs and lobsters were released there are still countless numbers of the foreign invaders in our waters.

Experts from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) said the foreign varieties were more aggressive and a threat to native crustaceans. Dungeness (US) crabs can spread diseases that native specials are unable to fight off.

American lobsters mate with native species to create hybrids.

Joseph Miller prosecuting for the MMO, said £18,000 of Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs funding had to be used to charter fishing vessels to try to recapture the invaders.

Local fishermen were paid £620 in bounties to encourage them to catch the the crabs and lobsters, which they would not normally be able to sell.

So far 323 of the non-native shellfish have been recovered. Hundreds more are still in the water. The most recent catches were also carrying eggs, which means they are breeding.

Mr Miller said: “The last three recaptured American lobsters were carrying eggs considered viable.

“The potential impact on UK waters is made up of a number of factors.

“They can breed with hybrid crabs and spread diseases.

“They are more aggressive and out compete native species.

American lobster hybrids produce sterile offspring.

“It could cause significant environmental and socioeconomic impact.”

Releasing non-native species is a crime under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Releasing native species into the sea also requires a licence.