Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in the Barents Sea: range expansion, legal status as a sedentary species and development of the fishery
Description
The snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) was first recorded in the Barents Sea in 1996 and within two decades occupied most of the central, eastern and northern parts of the sea, supporting a commercial fishery that started in 2012. This narrative review synthesises openly available peer-reviewed literature, court decisions and official Norwegian documents on four themes: (1) the spread of the species and the debate on its origin, where early interpretations of ballast-water introduction have given way to genetic evidence consistent with natural range expansion; (2) its legal classification as a sedentary species under Article 77(4) of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, confirmed by the Norwegian Supreme Court in the Senator case (HR-2019-282-S), and the related disputes with the European Union and Latvian interests over the shelf around Svalbard; (3) the development of Norwegian regulation from the 2015 general ban, through annual total allowable catches from 2017, to closed participation and vessel quotas from 2025; and (4) stock assessment by the Institute of Marine Research and the documented and potential ecosystem effects, including benthic predation and ghost fishing by lost pots. The Norwegian quota rose from 4,000 tonnes in 2017 to 12,336 tonnes advised and set for 2026. Key knowledge gaps include the lack of an analytical stock assessment, limited knowledge of benthic impacts, unknown pot-loss rates and the unresolved status of the Svalbard Treaty beyond the territorial sea. A short practitioner perspective relates the literature to operational experience in Barents Sea crab fisheries.
Files. English version: 03-snow-crab-barents_en.pdf. Russian version (full translation, identical reference list): 03-snow-crab-barents_ru.pdf.
Series. Crab Fisheries Review Series, No. 03 — narrative reviews of the Barents Sea crab fisheries and fisheries employment written by a practitioner with more than ten seasons on Norwegian fishing vessels.
Author. Renat Besolov — independent researcher; founder of BFISHERMAN. Website: https://rbesolov.com/en/
Abstract (Russian)
Краб-стригун опилио, или снежный краб (Chionoecetes opilio), впервые отмечен в Баренцевом море в 1996 г. и менее чем за два десятилетия заселил большую часть центральной, восточной и северной частей моря; коммерческий промысел начался в 2012 г. В обзоре обобщены открытые рецензируемые публикации, судебные решения и официальные норвежские документы по четырём темам: (1) расселение вида и дискуссия о его происхождении, в которой ранние представления о заносе с балластными водами уступили место генетическим данным, согласующимся с естественным расширением ареала; (2) правовая квалификация вида как сидячего согласно п. 4 ст. 77 Конвенции ООН по морскому праву, подтверждённая Верховным судом Норвегии по делу судна Senator (HR-2019-282-S), и связанные с этим споры с Европейским союзом и латвийскими компаниями о шельфе у Шпицбергена; (3) развитие норвежского регулирования — от общего запрета 2015 г. через ежегодный ОДУ с 2017 г. к закрытому кругу участников и судовым квотам с 2025 г.; (4) оценка запаса Институтом морских исследований Норвегии (HI) и установленные и потенциальные экосистемные эффекты, включая выедание бентоса и «призрачный» лов утерянными ловушками. Норвежская квота выросла с 4000 т в 2017 г. до 12 336 т, рекомендованных и установленных на 2026 г. Основные пробелы в знаниях — отсутствие аналитической оценки запаса, ограниченность данных о воздействии на бентос, неизвестный уровень потерь ловушек и нерешённый вопрос о применении Шпицбергенского трактата за пределами территориального моря. Краткий раздел о практическом опыте соотносит литературу с работой в крабовых промыслах Баренцева моря.
Сайт автора: https://rbesolov.com/
Series information
Crab Fisheries Review Series, No. 03Files
03-snow-crab-barents_en.pdf
Additional details
Additional titles
- Translated title (Russian)
- Краб-стригун опилио (Chionoecetes opilio) в Баренцевом море: расширение ареала, правовой статус сидячего вида и развитие промысла
References
- Agnalt, A.-L., Falkenhaug, T., Glenner, H., Husa, V., Jelmert, A., & Mortensen, S. (2023). Malacostraca: Vurdering av snøkrabbe Chionoecetes opilio for Fastlands-Norge med havområder. Fremmedartslista 2023. Artsdatabanken. https://lister.artsdatabanken.no/fremmedartslista/2023/2847
- Agnalt, A.-L., Jørstad, K. E., Pavlov, V. A., & Olsen, E. (2011). Recent trends in distribution and abundance of the snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) population in the Barents Sea. In Biology and management of exploited crab populations under climate change (pp. 81–90). Alaska Sea Grant, University of Alaska Fairbanks. https://doi.org/10.4027/bmecpcc.2010.23
- Alvsvåg, J., Agnalt, A.-L., & Jørstad, K. E. (2009). Evidence for a permanent establishment of the snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in the Barents Sea. Biological Invasions, 11(3), 587–595. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-008-9273-7
- Cerbule, K., Larsen, R. B., & Rijkure, A. (2025). Pot losses and associated implications in Barents Sea snow crab fishery. Scientific Reports, 15, 14961. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99749-4
- Dahle, G., Sainte-Marie, B., Mincks, S. L., Farestveit, E., Jørstad, K. E., Hjelset, A. M., & Agnalt, A.-L. (2022). Genetic analysis of the exploited snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in the Barents Sea: Possibilities of origin. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 79(9), 2389–2398. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsac172
- Essex Court Chambers. (2024, January 11). Tribunal reject first ICSID claim brought against Norway. https://essexcourt.com/tribunal-reject-first-icsid-claim-brought-against-norway/
- Fiskeridirektoratet. (2023). Høringsnotat: Forslag til endringer i reguleringen av deltakelsen i fangst av snøkrabbe (30 June 2023). https://fiskeridir.no/hoeringer/forslag-til-endringer-i-reguleringen-av-deltakelsen-i-fangst-av-snokrabbe/_/attachment/inline/f138ebbb-7be3-43ac-8a84-1886213b5a83:c212cce849f65895a2b751e19603bc25d4cc840b/horingsnotat-snokrabbe-290623.pdf
- Fiskeridirektoratet. (2025). Sak 17/2025: Snøkrabbe. Reguleringsmøtet november 2025. https://www.fiskeridir.no/yrkesfiske/reguleringsmotet/reguleringsmote-november-2025/_/attachment/inline/1b5d0b36-9515-4e1d-b8ee-1c0cb3736f13:47a2ef0b80946f36c40d17f93439c6de1682a2ac/sak-17-2025-Snokrabbe.pdf
- Forskrift om forbud mot fangst av snøkrabbe [Regulation on the prohibition of snow crab fishing], FOR-2014-12-19-1836 (2014). Lovdata. https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2014-12-19-1836
- Hansen, H. S. B. (2016). Three major challenges in managing non-native sedentary Barents Sea snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio). Marine Policy, 71, 38–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2016.05.013
- Havforskningsinstituttet. (n.d.). Snøkrabbe [Topic page]. Retrieved October 2026, from https://www.hi.no/hi/temasider/arter/snokrabbe
- Henriksen, T. (2019, February 28). The Senator case: A new turn in Norway's dealings with foreign vessels operating in the waters off Svalbard. JCLOS Blog, UiT The Arctic University of Norway. https://site.uit.no/nclos/?p=583
- Henriksen, T. (2020). Snow crab in the Barents Sea: Managing a non-native species in disputed waters. Arctic Review on Law and Politics, 11, 108–132. https://doi.org/10.23865/arctic.v11.2545
- Hjelset, A. M., Danielsen, H. E. H., Westgaard, J.-I., & Agnalt, A.-L. (2021). Taxonomic and genetic confirmed findings of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) larvae in the Barents Sea. Polar Biology, 44(11), 2107–2115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-021-02946-w
- Hjelset, A. M., & Humborstad, O.-B. (2024). Høringssvar: Regulering av fangst av snøkrabbe i 2025. Havforskningsinstituttet. https://www.fiskeridir.no/hoeringer/regulering-av-fangst-av-snokrabbe-i-2025/_/attachment/download/bd2df77d-2daa-4439-87cf-50d617bbb189:8135ede4bd801c3974b6a714bf59e92867e9c434/snokrabbe-2025-Havforskningsinstituttet.pdf
- HR-2019-282-S. (2019). Judgment of the Supreme Court of Norway, 14 February 2019, case no. 18-064307STR-HRET (English translation). https://www.domstol.no/globalassets/upload/hret/translated-rulings/hr-2019-282-s.pdf
- Humborstad, O.-B., Eliassen, L. K., Siikavuopio, S. I., Løkkeborg, S., Ingólfsson, Ó. A., & Hjelset, A. M. (2021). Catches in abandoned snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) pots in the Barents Sea. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 173, 113001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113001
- Huserbråten, M., Hjelset, A. M., Danielsen, H. E. H., Hvingel, C., & Agnalt, A.-L. (2023). Modelled dispersal of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) larvae and potential settlement areas in the western Barents Sea. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 80(5), 1342–1350. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsad062
- Hvingel, C. (2016). Towards a new sustainable fishing adventure? The snow crab in the Barents Sea [Conference presentation, FishTech 2016]. Institute of Marine Research. https://www.sintef.no/contentassets/f44e476363014c01b5bcff263fe5f814/carsten_hvingel_snow_crab_fishtec_2016.pdf
- Kaiser, B. A., Kourantidou, M., & Fernandez, L. (2018). A case for the commons: The snow crab in the Barents. Journal of Environmental Management, 210, 338–348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.01.007
- Latvian Public Broadcasting. (2024, February 8). Snow crab dispute settled with losses for Latvian business. LSM.lv. https://eng.lsm.lv/article/economy/business/08.02.2024-snow-crab-dispute-settled-with-losses-for-latvian-business.a542093/
- Lipukhin, E. V., Zalota, A. K., Mishin, A. V., & Simakova, U. V. (2024). The origin of the Chionoecetes opilio snow crab larvae in the Kara Sea. Oceanology, 64(2), 320–331. https://doi.org/10.31857/S0030157424020084
- Nærings- og fiskeridepartementet. (2025, October 10). Stabil snøkrabbekvote i 2026 [Press release]. Regjeringen.no. https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuelt/stabil-snokrabbekvote-i-2026/id3122336/
- Østhagen, A., & Raspotnik, A. (2019). Why is the European Union challenging Norway over snow crab? Svalbard, special interests, and Arctic governance. Ocean Development & International Law, 50(2–3), 190–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/00908320.2019.1582606
- Pildegovics and SIA North Star v. Kingdom of Norway, ICSID Case No. ARB/20/11, Award (22 December 2023). https://www.italaw.com/sites/default/files/case-html-files/180582_Award_2023-12-22.html
- Skår, C., Karlsbakk, E., Nunkoo, I., MacKenzie, K., Hemmingsen, W., & Arneberg, P. (2024). No evidence of Hematodinium spp. infections in the recently established Barents Sea snow crab population. Bulletin of the European Association of Fish Pathologists, 44(1). https://doi.org/10.48045/001c.116257
- Sundet, J. H., & Bakanev, S. (2014). Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio): A new invasive crab species becoming an important player in the Barents Sea ecosystem (ICES CM 2014/F:04). International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. https://www.ices.dk/sites/pub/CM%20Doccuments/CM-2014/Theme%20Session%20F%20contributions/F0414.pdf
- Uhlířová, K. (2025). International law in Arctic waters: Disputes over catching snow crab in Svalbard in the broader context of the exploration of natural resources. Czech Polar Reports, 15(S), 139–167. https://doi.org/10.5817/CPR2025-S-8
- United Nations. (1982). United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Part VI: Continental shelf. https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part6.htm
- Zakharov, D. V., Manushin, I. E., Nosova, T. B., Strelkova, N. A., & Pavlov, V. A. (2021). Diet of snow crab in the Barents Sea and macrozoobenthic communities in its area of distribution. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 78(2), 545–556. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaa132
- Zalota, A. K., Spiridonov, V. A., & Vedenin, A. A. (2018). Development of snow crab Chionoecetes opilio (Crustacea: Decapoda: Oregonidae) invasion in the Kara Sea. Polar Biology, 41(10), 1983–1994. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-018-2337-y
- Zalota, A. K., Zimina, O. L., & Spiridonov, V. A. (2019). Combining data from different sampling methods to study the development of an alien crab Chionoecetes opilio invasion in the remote and pristine Arctic Kara Sea. PeerJ, 7, e7952. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7952