– This is destroying an entire industry, thunders shrimp fisherman Morten Aleksandersen, who lives at Hvaler in Østfold. The quota for shrimp fishing in the Skagerak and the North Sea has been reduced by almost 40 per cent overnight. For many, prawns are a sure sign of summer. For shrimp fishermen in southern Norway, this year’s summer will be characterized by uncertainty. Photo: Tore Meek / NTB On Friday, Norway and the EU agreed on the strong reduction, which will have major consequences for the industry. Aleksandersen estimates that his income will be halved due to the quota change. – I would have understood if it hadn’t been prawns. But I’ve been fishing for 30 years, and I don’t think we’ve ever caught so many prawns at that time of year here before, says the prawn fisherman. Shrimp fisherman Morten Aleksandersen is strongly critical of the new method used to measure the shrimp population. Photo: Camilla Næss / news Sharp cuts The Norwegian quota will be 3,805 tonnes for the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024. In the Skagerak and the North Sea a total of 6,076 tonnes of shrimp can be fished in the same period. In comparison, the quota for Skagerak and the North Sea was 5,882 tonnes from January to June in 2023. This is how we have calculated the quota reduction. news’s calculation shows that the shrimp quota has been reduced by 38 per cent. In previous years, the shrimp quota year ran from 1 January to 31 December. The shrimp quota year is now calculated from 1 July to 30 June. Our calculation is based on a calculation Kystmagasinet made when a proposal for a reduced shrimp quota was put forward earlier in June. The quota was then proposed at 5125 tonnes. In 2022, the quota was 7,712 tonnes. In the first half of 2023, the quota was 5,882 tonnes. “If you compare it with the quota council for the first half of 2023 plus half of the quota council for 2022, the new council of 5,125 tonnes of shrimp is a decrease of 47 per cent”, writes Kystmagasinet. The quota is now set at 6,076 tonnes. By using the same method as shown above, you get a percentage decrease of 37.6 (38) per cent. – Can’t ignore A new, advanced way of calculating the shrimp population is to blame. – We believe that the model we have now gives a better estimate of the total stock, says researcher at the Institute of Marine Research Guldborg Søvik. Based on the new method, researchers believe that there are fewer shrimp in the sea than previously thought. – We cannot ignore that, says Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bjørnar Skjæran (Ap) in a press release. Fears for the future In Utgårdskilen south of Hvaler, Fjord fish live. The company has one of Eastern Norway’s largest reception facilities for fish and shellfish. Fjordfisk had a turnover of NOK 88 million in 2022, but has been making a loss since 2020. Photo: Magnus Sørensen / news – This will have a direct impact on the wallet and the number of employees, says general manager Kurt Allan Hansen. For him, the news of the quota reduction came as a shock. – What will the market look like here? How would I, having a workforce that is adapted to the volume we have today, handle this? – No one was prepared for this, says Kurt Allan Hansen in Fjordfisk. Photo: MAGNUS SØRENSEN / news Hvaler mayor Mona Vauger shares Hansen’s concerns. She fears that it will no longer be profitable to do shrimp fishing. – In the future, we will live off what the sea can provide, and then we must take care of what we have today in order to build on for the future. Shrimp fishing is a big part of that, says Vauger. Will not compensate The government will not compensate the shrimp fishermen who risk a severe cut in their livelihood. This is stated by the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries in an e-mail to news. – No compensation schemes have been considered as a result of natural fluctuations in the stock, writes the ministry. In the same e-mail, the ministry points out that this year the Norwegian coastal shrimp fleet has been granted NOK 23.4 million in an extraordinary subsidy scheme due to high fuel prices. Fisheries Minister Bjørnar Skjæran (Ap) has not had the opportunity to be interviewed by news.
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Sharp cut in the shrimp quota in the Skagerak and the North Sea – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
