The advice this year from Norway’s Institute of Marine Research is for a Barents Sea shrimp quota not exceeding 83,000 tonnes – and while this is a marked reduction on the advice for previous years, it’s not far from the level of actual landings.
This year’s quota advice is based on the fact that the stock has declined following high landings in 2024. The population estimate from the institute’s ecosystem survey in 2025 was the lowest since these surveys began in 2004. In addition, high uncertainty in the population assessment contributes to a lower advice.
‘Since 2020, landings have been a long way below the quota recommendations. In 2024, landings peaked at around 95,000 tonnes,’ said marine scientist Fabian Zimmermann.
‘The population is still at a high level, but closer to what we can expect as normal in the long term.’
The catch peak in 2024 has also provided researchers with better information on how the stock withstands fishing pressure.
The Institute of Marine Research provides quota advice for Barents Sea shrimp this year – but there is currently no shared total quota or management rule for this shrimp stock, which is mainly fished by vessels from Norway, Russia and the EU. Norwegian fisheries are partly regulated through rules for bycatch and technical restrictions on fishing gear.
‘We see that interest increases when quotas are reduced for other fisheries. Therefore, it is important to monitor the development of the stock and work towards joint management,’ Fabian Zimmermann said.
