Norwegian fishing vessel engaged in purse seine and shrimp trawling.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
Norway and the European Union (EU) have reached an agreement on the shrimp total allowable catch (TAC) for the Skagerrak and North Sea for the upcoming quota year, which starts next week with the change of month. Following the scientific advice of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the delegations meeting this week in Stockholm agreed on a decrease for the second consecutive year.
Thus, for the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, the total quota has been set at 4,010 tons, of which Norway's share amounts to 2,511 tons. Compared to the 4,557 total tons and 2,854 tons for Norway in the previous period - which will expire this Monday, June 30 - the quota for the year about to begin represents a 12% reduction.
Of these 4,010 tons, the delegations agreed to establish a TAC of 2,807 tons for Skagerrak, while the Norwegian delegation informed the EU delegation of its intention to set a Northern shrimp quota of 1,203 tons for ICES fishing division 4a East, this is the northern North Sea.
Although compared to 25% in the previous period, this year's 12% decrease is an improvement, commenting on the agreement, the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Marianne Sivertsen Næss, acknowledged that this is a difficult and challenging situation for Norwegian shrimp fishers.
"It is good that Norway and the EU have now put in place an agreement on the shrimp quota for the Skagerrak and the North Sea. At the same time, I know that the low quota will be challenging for the shrimp fishers. Now fishing can resume from July 1, and people can look forward to fresh shrimp from Southern Norway this summer," she said.
In its release announcing the agreement, the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries noted that, for another year, the reduction follows the recommendation of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and that, according to ICES, the Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) stock is currently at a critically low level.
However, the Norwegian government also wanted to sound a note of hope by claiming that ICES researchers believe that the population can increase to a higher level in 2026 if the quota advice is followed.
"The advice from ICES is the best scientific basis we have, and it is important that we base our decisions on it," Minister Sivertsen Næss continued. "I understand that this will be yet another difficult year for the shrimp fishers in the south, and that the season will be challenging. At the same time, I hope that the improvement we have seen in recruitment will contribute to a positive development in the stock," she concluded.