Nephrops lobster

Scientific: Nephrops norvegicus. English: Nephrops lobster, nephrops, Norway lobster, scampi, Dublin bay prawn, langoustine. Icelandic: Leturhumar, humar. For more languages see the Marine Animal Dictionary.

Biology and distribution

Nephrops lobster is widespread in the northeast Atlantic, from the mid part of Norway and south into the Mediterranean Sea. In Icelandic waters it is found in the warmer waters off the south, southeast and southwest coast, mostly at depths of 110-270 m and ocean temperatures of 6-9 °C. Its habitat is a soft bottom of clay or sand where it digs extensive tunnels and feeds on small bottom animals. The males are more mobile and spend a longer time outside the tunnels. This is reflected in the catches as the majority are males.

The nephrops is small compared to other lobster species and is in fact not considered a lobster by everyone, as some of the English names imply. The nephrops in Icelandic waters is large, nevertheless, compared to nephrops in European waters. Fully grown males in Icelandic waters are from 20 to 25 cm from the eyes to the tail. The females are smaller or rarely more than 18 cm.

Catch and fishing methods

Experimental nephrops fisheries were first conducted in 1939, but were not continued. Some low scale fisheries began in 1951, but large scale fisheries commenced in 1958. Nephrops catches in Icelandic waters have been in the order of 1,200-4,000 tonnes per year in the last 30 years. The nephrops lobster fishing season traditionally lasts from 15 May to 31 August, although fishing is permitted to the end of September. Nephrops lobster is caught by nephrops trawl. This is the only Icelandic fishery that is partly managed by obligatory discarding, since females cannot be retained. Most of the fishery is direct, although small amounts are caught as bycatch in other fisheries.

Stock status (from the Marine Research institute)

In 2009, 2.464 t of Nephrops norvegicus were landed compared to 2.070 t in 2008. CPUE (kg/hour, single rigged) was 80 kg in 2009 compared to 113 kg and 98 kg in 2008 and 2007 respectively. According to the current assessment, the fishable stock biomass (Nephrops 6 years and older) in 2010 is estimated at 17.000 t, slightly below the assessment made in 2009. The stock declined to its lowest recorded levels around 1995 due to poor overall recruitment and high fishing intensity off southeast Iceland. The increase in stock biomass in recent years is considered to be the combined result of larger year classes from the period 1997-2004, a higher abundance estimate of the older component of the stock at southwest Iceland and a low effort Fopt fishery policy. MRI recommends a TAC of no more than 2 100 t in the quota year 2010/1011.

Processing and markets

Nephrops is the most valuable resource in Icelandic waters in terms of price per kg. It is exported either as quick frozen shell-on tails or as whole lobster. An increasing share goes to local consumption as the nephrops is increasingly popular in Icelandic restaurants. Large size nephrops lobster is the most valuable in the fisheries. More than half of the exports are to Spain, but other important countries are the Netherlands, the United states and Canada.

References and further information

References: (Gunnarsson et al., 1998), (Eiríksson, 1999).

For full citation and further information on the main species in general see this page

Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson, University of Akureyri