Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus)
Local names: Jomfruhummer, Buchstabenkrebs, cigala, Dublin Bay prawn, havskräfta, Kaisergranat, Kaiserhummer, keisarihummeri, karavída, langoustine, Nephrops, Noorse kreeft, Norway lobster, Norway prawn, Norwegischer Hummer, scampi, sjøkreps
Main commercial products: Live specimens; fresh and frozen whole specimens and tails; canned peeled tails; canned soup (bisque de langoustines)
Main markets: Sold throughout Europe as a highly esteemed foodi, particularly in the UK, Spain, France, and Italy
Fishing grounds: Throughout almost its entire range, from Iceland to the Mediterranean Sea; most catches come from the North Sea, the waters around the UK and Ireland, and the Bay of Biscayii
European fleets*: UK, Ireland, France, Denmark, Italy, Iceland, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, Greece, Belgium, Norway, Croatia, Germany, Faeroe Islands, Isle of Man, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania
* in order of reported landings in 2004, largest to smallest. The UK alone accounted for 53% of the total catch; countries in bold together accounted for around 85% of the total catch; Norway lobster is currently the UK’s most valuable fishery
Fishing methods: Beam trawls, otter trawls, seine nets, baited traps (creels)
Current populations: The status of stocks in most areas is unknown, but many appear to be exploited at a sustainable level and in some cases abundance appears to be increasing, perhaps due to decreased predation by depleted species such as cod and hake.
However, stocks are depleted in West Galicia and North Portugal, while sharp reductions in stock biomass have been recorded in North Galicia and the Cantabrian Sea.
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