There is leeway to increase snow crab catches in 2027, according to Norway’s Institute of Marine Research.
The Institute recommends that snow crab catch on the Norwegian continental shelf should not exceed 16,594 tonnes in 2027. This is an increase of 35% over the recomendation for 2026.
‘The advice goes up because all stock indices included in the stock assessment are higher in 2026 than in 2025. This indicates that the stock has increased, and that there is room for increased catches in 2027,’ said stock manager Ann Merete Hjelset.
For 2026, both the recommended quota and the set quota were 12,336 tonnes.
Snow crab has been recorded in large parts of the Barents Sea, but commercial fishing mainly takes place where the density of crab is highest.
‘That’s on the Sentralbanken and in Hopendjupet in the north,’ she said.
Scientists recommend that the conservation period from 1st July to 31st December be maintained in 2027. When snow crab moult, they becomes vulnerable to damage during handling. The conservation reduces the risk of damage from the fishery and helps reduce sorting and discards, which in turn can reduce mortality.
‘This supports a more robust population, while ensuring that the fishery takes place during the period when the crab is of the best quality, which reduces the need for sorting,’ Ann Merete Hjelset commented. The final snow crab quota for 2027 will be set by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries during the autumn of 2026.
Image: Odd-Børre Humborstad/ HI
