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In the far north, even in a country like Norway, communities can struggle financially. In 1989, the situation was so difficult here that the inhabitants put their village up for sale, advertised it, only to be bought by someone. The young people had left because they could not find work. Now the town has been revived with pensions and a restaurant. And this, thanks to a … “monster”.
See a report from “Focus Europa”, a project by Digi24 and Deutsche Welle. The program airs on Friday at 11:30 p.m. and resumes on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Norway is the European country with the largest fishing industry. Not to mention a surprise, since more than half of its territory is open to the sea. But in some areas, such as the town of Bugoynes, the wealth of seafood has not been used effectively.
Dirk Heidschwager loves the Arctic Ocean. He was born in Germany, but has lived in the far north of Norway for 12 years. Tourists are needed to see interesting places along the coast, near the Russian border.
One of these objectives is recovered from the depths of the sea to be shown to the group of tourists. The traps were set just one day earlier, at a depth of 180 meters.
The “monster” that feeds on everything in its path
That’s because a new species has appeared in Norwegian waters. The red crab! It is a delicacy with a price that is also called a monster crab, because it feeds on everything that gets in its way. But this monster saved the fate of many Norwegian fishermen.
However, crabs are also a growing ecological problem. seafood they multiply more like rabbits.
“Jump into the water and you’ll be eaten by crabs. I’m everywhere. We don’t miss it, we just need certain parts,” Dirk Heidschwager jokes.
Catching crabs has brought unprecedented prosperity to the far north of Norway, limited by economic problems. Including Bugoynes, the remote fishing village that was auctioned in 1989.
Soviet researchers responsible for the proliferation of the “monster”
The fisherman Leif Ingelae was one of the first to discover this new species in Bugoynes. Soviet researchers had released crustaceans into the Barents Sea in the 1950s.. But Ingelae didn’t know it when one day she found the monster crab in her nets.
“The first crabs I caught they weighed between ten and twelve kilograms. We were completely surprised. But without them, we would never have had a fishing industry in town, not even a fishing boat, come on, maybe two or three at the most. But today we have fifteen or sixteen boats, ”says fisherman Leif Ingelae.
Norwegian environmentalists and scientists are alarmed
Explosive propagation of red crab is a bonus for anglers. But Norwegian environmentalists and scientists are alarmed. High-appetite crustaceans are being seen farther and farther south, and will soon even reach the shores of Scotland.
“I found that they can adapt to water temperatures of 18 degrees Celsius. That means it could survive in the Mediterranean! Wherever these crabs settle, they have devastating effects on the fauna of the seabed. Some species like mussels and starfish have completely disappearedSays Jan Sundet, a marine biologist.
This species of crab is also known as the “monster crab”. It has no natural enemies and represents a threat to any other living being on the seabed. So the fisheries authorities were very lenient. And tourists are not the only ones taking advantage of the situation.
How much is a copy worth?
“Every man has the right to fish, without paying any tax, 10 crabs a year for his own use. A crab is worth 900 kronor or 90 euros, money that goes straight to our pockets. Multiplied by ten, you have almost a thousand euros and more and you eat a delicacy for free! “Says Dirk Heidschwager.
What Dirk Heidschwager serves his customers after a short time in the kitchen can only be ordered in the best restaurants in Europe and Asia. Norway exports more than two thousand tons of red crab a year.
As environmental concerns about invasive species continue, tourists enjoy the well-seasoned meat. And the Norwegian authorities hope that maintaining high fishing quotas will help control the crab population.
Meanwhile, the people of northern Norway hope that this generous source of income will last. Not in vain, but they have already built a monument dedicated to the crab.
Editor: Luana Pavaluca
