Norway Sets Snow Crab Quotas
Catching snow crab (chionoecetes bairdi) in Svalbard water has become a bone of contention between Norway and the EU. (Photo: NOAA/Wikimedia commons)
Norway has set a quota of 4,000 tons of snow crabs. This happens while Norway and the EU are arguing over the latter’s right to allocate quotas to its fishing vessels.
Norway has set a quota of 4,000 tons of snow crabs. This happens while Norway and the EU are arguing over the latter’s right to allocate quotas to its fishing vessels.
Yesterday, the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries released a press statement saying that Norway has set a total quota of 4,000 tons of snow crabs for 2017. From this, 500 tons are reserved for ‘potential agreements with other countries’.
Also read: The EU Questioned Norway on Snow Crabs
The quota is set following biological advice from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research.
- Snow crab is a new and exciting species that holds the potential of becoming an important resource. We aim at managing it in a sustainable way, says Fisheries Minister Per Sandberg in the press release.
The snow crab was first discovered in Norway in 2003, off the Finnmark coast. This year, the EU has awarded snow crab catching licenses to some 20 EU vessels planning to operate in Svalbard waters, though Norway flatly denies accepting these licenses.