Havfisken on survey in the Skagerrak and Kattegat

From 10–19 March 2026, the research vessel Havfisken will be in the Skagerrak and Kattegat to monitor the abundance of Norway lobsters in selected areas. The data collection is carried out in collaboration with Sweden.

Norway lobsters live in burrows in the sediment. DTU Aqua has developed a method that makes it possible to estimate the stock size of Norway lobsters based on data showing how many Norway lobsters burrows are present in the seabed.

During the survey, underwater video recordings of the seabed and the number of burrows are collected at 91 randomly selected stations. Each station is filmed for 10 minutes. The cameras are mounted on the so called “Norway lobster sledge,” which has been developed by DTU Aqua.

Equipment is also mounted on the vessel and the sledge to measure current speed and direction near the seabed, along with a range of other oceanographic data such as temperature, salinity, oxygen, and turbidity.

What are the data used for?

Data from the survey is used together with corresponding Swedish data to assess the status of the Norway lobster stock in the Skagerrak and Kattegat. This provides the basis for the biological advice used by authorities when setting quotas and other fisheries regulations.

Where is Havfisken now?

• See the current position of Havfisken.