Norwegian fishermen from the Troms Region were pioneers in establishing the commercial use of coldwater prawns. The fishing started in the late 1800's, and during the next century began the development towards an industrial prawn fishing. Our prawns are caught by highly-skilled fishermen who combine the generations of hard-earned experience with the latest technology.
Norwegian prawns (Pandalus borealis) are caught in the Barents Sea and along the coast of Norway.
The prawns live in the cold clean waters where the temperature ranges from only 0 to 8 degrees Centigrade. The low temperature of the water allows the prawns grow and mature slowly, resulting in a much firmer and tastier product, The prawns live on sand and clay the seabed’s 50 to 800 meters below the surface, feeding on tiny crayfish and plankton. Norwegian prawns have a fresh flavour, firm flesh and a natural red colour.
Fishing in the Norwegian economic zone north of 62°N is highly regulated. All fishing vessels over 50 tons must have a licence, and fishing methods and equipment are subject to strict control. Separating panels prevent by-catch of under-sized prawns, fish juveniles and small fish.Institute of Marine Research is continuously monitoring marine resources and the environment to ensure sustainable catch of Norwegian prawns. In addition, the Directorate of Fisheries and the Norwegian Coast Guard has the authority to close prawning grounds when the proportion of bycatch exceeds the specified limits. The Norwegian prawn fishery is certified as a sustainable fishery by Friend of the Sea and Krav.
Norwegian coldwater prawns are caught in the fishing zones FAO27 (Barents Sea) and FAO21 (NorthWest Atlantic).
The map shows FAO27.
