Ex-vessel sales of brown crab (Cancer pagurus) in the two important European markets of France and the United Kingdom increased significantly last year, with a modest supply reduction driving up prices.
Also known as “edible crab,” this species is the most commercially important crab in Europe. Its main habitat is around the British Isles, including Ireland, while the French and Norwegian coasts are also locations for sizeable populations.
In 2018, the first-sales volumes of this crustacean fell by 9 percent in France and by 5 percent in the U.K., new data from the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA) found.
These reductions led to higher prices, with the 2018 first-sale price in France averaging EUR 4.15 (USD 4.71) per kilogram, an increase of 31 percent over 2017 and 36 percent more than in 2016. In the U.K., last year’s average price of EUR 2.73 (USD 3.10) per kilogram was 39 percent up on 2017 and 61 percent higher than in 2016. Consequently, the total first-sales value in the French and U.K. markets grew by 20 percent and 32 percent respectively.
The ports of Douarnenez, Brest, and Roscoff on the Celtic Sea coast, and Le Croisic in the Bay of Biscay accounted for about 65 percent of France’s total first-sales value in 2018. In the U.K., 50 percent of the first-sales occurred at the 192 ports on the Celtic Sea, with the other half were made at the 130 ports on the North Sea coast.
EUMOFA also confirmed that first-sales of the crab in Denmark grew in both value, up 59 percent - and volume, up 76 percent - last year. However, the average price decreased by 9 percent to EUR 3.04 (USD 3.45) per kilogram. Denmark’s main crab landing ports in 2018 were Hvide Sande, Thorsminde and Thyborøn on the North Sea.
In the European Union, brown crab is usually caught using traps or creels during the summer and autumn, with peak months from July to November.
Fisheries management includes fishing effort limitations and technical conservation measures. While brown crab is not subject to catch limits such as total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas, the total number of traps allowed depends on the boat size, the number of crew and the fishing ground.
Only whole individuals, excluding berried females and soft-shelled crabs, with a minimum shell width of 13 centimeters, can be marketed.
