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Norway lobster

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General

Lobsters and crayfish

Lobsters live in saltwater whilst crayfish live in freshwater habitats. Lobsters and crayfish are most often caught using pots or traps. Most lobsters are equipped with ten legs and two scissors as front legs. With these scissors, they are able to grab, cut or crack their food. Did you know lobsters and crayfish, just lie snakes, change their skin because their shell does not grow with their bodies? After changing their shell the animal grows fast and increases in weight.

There are many different lobster species. Most common are the American lobster in the north-western Atlantic ocean, and the European lobster in the north-eastern Atlantic ocean. Lobsters have a relatively slow growth rate and reach sexual maturity at a late age. Another frequently consumed lobster is the Norway lobster. This species is way smaller than the American and European lobster. This species occurs in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and parts of the Mediterranean sea.

 

 

Norway lobster

The Norway lobsteror Dublin bay prawn, can be found in the north-east Atlantic Ocean on muddy sea beds, where it lives in burrows with its young. Due to very specific habitat preferences, the Norway lobster can only be found locally. This lobster mainly leaves its burrow at night, most often to feed or mate, to protect their territory, or to perform maintenance on its burrow. The Norway lobster can reach lengths of up to 24 cm but on average reach 18-20 centimetres. 

 

Norway lobster

Nephrops norvegicus
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, northeast (FAO 27)

Farming- / Catch method

Beam trawl, Bottom trawls, Pots and traps

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Explanation assessment

The MSCMSC:
Marine Stewardship Council, an independent, international non-profit organization that has developed an eco-label that guarantees well-managed, sustainable fisheries. Fish products that meet the criteria of the eco-label can be identified by the blue MSC logo.
-certified fishery for Norway lobster (langoustine) fishes in the North Sea and in the Skagerrak and Kattegat (Denmark and Sweden). Since October 2019, this fishery has been certified under the ‘Joint Demersal Fisheries’ certification. No fewer than 8 different species of fish are covered by this certificate, which are caught using different fishing methods and all assessed together. MSC-certified Norway lobster is caught using bottomBottom trawls:
A fishing technique in which cone-shaped nets terminating in a codend are dragged through the water column or along the bottom.
trawls, beamBeam trawls:
A technique in which a pit net at the top is kept open by a horizontal tube (the tree). Ticklerchains are tossed through the bottom to hunt the fish into the net.  
trawl and potspots:
A fishing method in which traps made of chicken wire are baited (fresh or salted fish) which are then placed on the seabed. Species caught this way include crab, lobster, whelk, langoustine and octopus.
and trapsTraps:
Traps are a kind of cages made of, for example, chicken wire that lie on the bottom of the sea. At the front is a net with large holes, which prevents species such as seals and waterfowl from swimming into the cage.
. The nets of the demersal fisheries are modified to minimize bycatchBycatch:
Species caught next to species targeted for fishery. By-catches can consist of non-commercial species and species that are too small, and can be kept (this part is sometimes called by-product) or thrown back into the sea (discards). 
of cod and undersizedUndersized fish:
Fish smaller than a prescribed minimum size. These sizes are determined per species and per country. For Europe, a minimum landing size applies to all EU Member States. 
lobster.

Norway lobster

Nephrops norvegicus
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, northeast (FAO 27)

Farming- / Catch method

Pots and traps

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Fish stocks and fishing pressure
Ecosystem effects
Fishery management
Final assessment
Explanation assessment

Due to lack of information, it is difficult to determine how Norway lobster stockStock:
The fish of a particular species reproducing in the same area in the same period. 
s are currently doing in the Northeast Atlantic. However, it appears that stocks are declining. Fishing pressureFishing pressure:
Fishing pressure is a result of the fishing effort/amount of fishing on a stock, which determines the fishing mortality. Fishing mortality is the share of the fish stock that dies annually as a result of fishing.
is in most cases taking place within biologically safe limits.

Fishing with potspots:
A fishing method in which traps made of chicken wire are baited (fresh or salted fish) which are then placed on the seabed. Species caught this way include crab, lobster, whelk, langoustine and octopus.
and trapsTraps:
Traps are a kind of cages made of, for example, chicken wire that lie on the bottom of the sea. At the front is a net with large holes, which prevents species such as seals and waterfowl from swimming into the cage.
is unlikely to have a significant effect on the ecosystem. These fisheries may have a negative impact on sensitive habitats on a small scale. The number of discardsDiscards:
Unwanted by-catch, which is thrown back because there is no quota, the market price is too low, or the fish is below the legal minimum landing size. Discards can be alive or dead.
in this fishery is relatively high and consists mainly of discards of undersizedUndersized fish:
Fish smaller than a prescribed minimum size. These sizes are determined per species and per country. For Europe, a minimum landing size applies to all EU Member States. 
lobster and the use of baitfish.

The managementManagement:
The regulations surrounding fisheries and aquaculture that ensure that production is carried out within legal frameworks and that sustainability can be assured.
is regulated at the EU level. There is a minimum landing sizeLanding size:
The length of the landed fish.
and an annual joint catch limit. For several years, the scientific advice has been to divide the management of Norway lobster into “functional units,” so that the management and setting of catch limitsCatch limits:
The maximum amount of fish of a species caught per country, per year. 
can be done more accurately. To date, this has not been properly implemented. The managementManagement:
The regulations surrounding fisheries and aquaculture that ensure that production is carried out within legal frameworks and that sustainability can be assured.
of this species is partially effective.

Norway lobster

Nephrops norvegicus
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, northeast (FAO 27)

Farming- / Catch method

Bottom trawls

  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
Fish stocks and fishing pressure
Ecosystem effects
Fishery management
Final assessment
Explanation assessment

Due to lack of information, it is difficult to determine how Norway lobster stockStock:
The fish of a particular species reproducing in the same area in the same period. 
s are currently doing in the Northeast Atlantic. However, it appears that stocks are declining. Fishing pressureFishing pressure:
Fishing pressure is a result of the fishing effort/amount of fishing on a stock, which determines the fishing mortality. Fishing mortality is the share of the fish stock that dies annually as a result of fishing.
is in most cases taking place within biologically safe limits.

Although it is unknown what impact this bottomBottom trawls:
A fishing technique in which cone-shaped nets terminating in a codend are dragged through the water column or along the bottom.
trawl fishery has on endangered and protectedProtected species:
Many marine species are protected from deliberate or intentional disturbance, capture, injury and killing, and in some cases possession or sale. Species are often protected if they play an important role in the ecosystem or are sensitive to fishing. These marine species are protected regardless of whether they are inside or outside marine protected areas.
species, it appears to play a role. The number of discards in this fishery is relatively high and largely includes discardsDiscards:
Unwanted by-catch, which is thrown back because there is no quota, the market price is too low, or the fish is below the legal minimum landing size. Discards can be alive or dead.
of undersizedUndersized fish:
Fish smaller than a prescribed minimum size. These sizes are determined per species and per country. For Europe, a minimum landing size applies to all EU Member States. 
lobster. In addition, this fishing method is in contact with the bottom, which can disturb sensitive benthic species and habitats.

The managementManagement:
The regulations surrounding fisheries and aquaculture that ensure that production is carried out within legal frameworks and that sustainability can be assured.
is regulated at the EU level. There is a minimum landing sizeLanding size:
The length of the landed fish.
and an annual joint catch limit. For several years, the scientific advice has been to divide the management of Norway lobster into “functional units,” so that the management and setting of catch limitsCatch limits:
The maximum amount of fish of a species caught per country, per year. 
can be done more accurately. To date, this has not been properly implemented. The managementManagement:
The regulations surrounding fisheries and aquaculture that ensure that production is carried out within legal frameworks and that sustainability can be assured.
of this species is partially effective.

ASC label

Fish with the ASC label is farmed in a sustainable manner.

MSC label

Fish with the MSC label is caught sustainably.

Good fish

This fish is not being overfished or is being responsibly farmed, with minimal impact on the environment.

Second choice

This fish is a second choice. There are still some improvements to be made in this fishery or fish farm.

Avoid

Do not buy this fish. It's being overfished or the way it's farmed or caught has a negative impact on the environment.

Welfare

There is fish available of this species that is farmed or caught using high welfare standards.

GlobalG.A.P.

GlobalG.A.P. certified farms are doing a step in the right direction in terms of sustainability. A few species with this label are getting a better score on the VISwijzer.

Organic

Organic standards are the strictest when it comes to fish feed. They also require certain measures for animal well-being.

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