Red King Crab (Paralithodes Camtshaticus) and Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus Gorbuscha) in the Barents Sea

Abstract

n 1961–1969 the red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus), brought from the Far East, was introduced into some inlets of the Kola Bay and in the open areas of the Barents Sea. The first red king crab was caught in the Barents Sea in 1974. The crab is now common in all fjords along the northern coast of Norway and coastal areas reaching about 25°E. Total catch for Russia and Norway amounted 200,000 crabs in 2001. Even if 1,500 tons of the north Pacific pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbusha were caught in the Barents and White Sea basins in 1999, it is considered that a stable self-reproducing population has not been established yet in the Barents Sea; it is still necessary to transport eggs of the pink salmon area periodically.