Red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) in the Barents Sea

The distribution range of the red king crab in the Barents Sea continues to expand in eastern, northern and western directions. In autumn 2002 the recruitment to the legal size stock was good in the eastern part of the distribution area in the Russian Economic Zone (REZ) and in Tanafjorden in the Norwegian Economic Zone (NEZ). The total harvest of crab in 2002 was 400 000 individuals. In REZ the mean catch per day harvested by Japanese conial traps was 1.4 legal males, and 8.5 using American square traps. In NEZ the mean catch ny Norwegian square traps increased considerably between 1999 ans 2001. In REZ the bycatch of red king crab in the bottom trawl fisheries was steadily increasing, being estimated at 77 000 in 2001 and 417 000 in 2002. In NEZ, bycatch in the gillnet fishery for cod and lumpsucker has been observed to decline in the Varangerfjord and to increase in the Tanafjord in recent years