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Norway lobster

Quality mark Cultivation
/Keurmerk Wild
Green
Second choice
Avoid
Bycatch
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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 lobster, or 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

North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat (FAO 27)

Farming- / Catch method

Bottom otter trawl, Trawls

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Minder tonen Toon beoordeling
Explanation assessment

Fisheries targeting Norway lobster in the North Sea and Skaggerak and Kattegat are MSC-certifiedMSC Certified:
Fisheries that comply with the Marine Stewardship Council assessment criteria and are certified. Fish products with the blue MSC label are caught by sustainable fisheries. since october 2019. This MSC-certificate is the  MSC Joint Demersal Fisheries and encompasses 12 different species and 961 fishing vessels. All have acquired the MSC certificate.

The fishery for Norway lobster is done using bottom trawls that are adapted to reduce the 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 undersized lobsters.

Fish in season 

Fish is in season when the spawning period has ended, as the quality is then at its best.

 

 

Norway lobster

Nephrops norvegicus
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, north-east (FAO 27)

Farming- / Catch method

Pots and traps

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Minder tonen Toon beoordeling
Fish stocks and fishing pressure
Ecosystem effects
Fishery management
Final assessment
Explanation assessment

There is currently no comprehensive data on the state of the stock of Norway lobster. However, the stock has increased in recent years and there are no signs of overfishing.

Fishing with pots and traps have very little bycatch and do not disturb the seabed. Fishing with pots and traps is therefore a more sustainable fishing technique compared to bottomtrawls.

The management of this fishery is partially effective. The management is coordinated at the EU-level. Since a couple of years, the scientific advise was to divide the management of the Norway lobster into ‘functional units’ instead of one unit for the North-Eastern Atlantic Ocean. Currently, the ICES advise on quota is according to these functional units but the overall stock management is still at stock level.

Fish in season 

Fish is in season when the spawning period has ended, as the quality is then at its best.

Norway lobster

Nephrops norvegicus
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, north-east (FAO 27)

Farming- / Catch method

Bottom otter trawl

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

There is currently no comprehensive data on the state of the stock of Norway lobster. However, the stock has increased in recent years and there are no signs of overfishing.

Demersal otter trawls impact the seabed and directly disturb the bottom life. Intensive fishing can lead on the long-term to a change in species composition in sea. This fishing has a large amount of bycatch of undersized and juvenile Norway lobster.

The management of this fishery is partially effective. The management is coordinated at the EU-level. Since a couple of years, the scientific advise was to divide the management of the Norway lobster into ‘functional units’ instead of one unit for the North-Eastern Atlantic Ocean. Currently, the ICES advise on quota is according to these functional units but the overall stock management is still at stock level.

Fish in season 

Fish is in season when the spawning period has ended, as the quality is then at its best.

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.

By-catch

This fish is unwillingly caught while fishing for a different species. They are underused and should be eaten more.

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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