More Northen Sea Prawns – then the quotas increase

Following a decline in prawn fishing over the past few years, catches are now on the rise again. New quotas have been negotiated between the EU (Sweden and Denmark) and Norway, meaning that catches in the Skagerrak, the Kattegat and the North Sea may increase by 15 per cent.

^{Text: Marika Griehsel}

According to Bart Adriaenssens, a researcher at the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, the stock has grown stronger.

‘Whilst the catch is increasing slightly, important work is underway to develop fishing gear that avoids catching the small prawns so that they can grow to maturity.‘

Bart Adriaenssens emphasises that the agency is tasked with promoting the sustainable management of marine resources and, amongst other things, provides the government with background information ahead of quota negotiations. He believes there is a good understanding and a growing realisation amongst Nordic politicians that fishing must be regulated on the basis of fundamental sustainability principles.

‘The negotiations between Norway and the EU regarding shrimp quotas point to a positive way forward, with a strong consensus that fish and shellfish should be managed sustainably.’

There are around 140 Danish, Swedish and Norwegian vessels in the Skagerrak fishing fleet, and they are allocated different quotas.
From 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, 3,228 tonnes of prawns may be caught in the Skagerrak. The vessels vary in size and are allocated different quota amounts as part of the national quota allocation systems.

It is researchers at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) who, each year, produce the scientific evidence on which fishing quotas are based.

‘There are protected areas in the Oslofjord, and from 1 July 2027, shrimp fishing will be phased out in Gullmarsfjorden, which means that coastal fishing will decline,’ says Bart Adriaenssens.