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The king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticu) in the Pacific Ocean is a large crab. It can weight up to 15 kg. In the 1960’s Russian scientists transported live king crabs from the Pacific to the Barents Sea. The plan was to create a new industry for the fishermen in the area around Murmansk.

It took many years to build the stock, but (unfortunately) the Russians succeeded. In the late 1970’s the king crab invaded the northern coast of Norway. As the years went by the stock in the Norwegian waters grew, and the crab found new grounds where it could feed and spawn. In fjords and along the coastline the king crab became a problem for the fishermen. The fishing nets could be full of crabs. The king crabs were also eating the bait on the long lines.

In the 1990’s the king crabs became so numerous that they were threatening the existence of the fishermen in the fjords and along the coast in northern Norway. It took years before the fishermen were allowed to fish for the crabs. An agreement between Russia and Norway opened for a commercial fishery for king crabs in Norwegian waters in 2002.

The troubled fishermen finally got a quota. The crab that had caused so much problems and worries for the fishermen became a blessing. The crab is caught using large pots. In the last years fishing for king crabs has been the most profitable fishery for many fishermen in the northern part of Norway.

Though the situation for the fishermen got better, we still do not know how the large stock of king crab in the Barents Sea will effect the environment. The crabs are still “eating their way” east and west in the Barents Sea, and it may take many years before we are fully aware of the consequences. Around the world there are enough of tragic examples of how new species effect the nature.

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