For decades, Iceland’s southern waters have held one of the richest lobster grounds in the world. Grilled in garlic butter, simmered in curry or served in creamy soups, Icelandic lobster is a favourite for chefs and diners.
Since 2022, fishing has stopped entirely. The delicacy now arrives from Denmark and Scotland, according to Fiskifréttir.
Christmas Peak
Guðjón Vilhelm Sigurðsson, head of Humarsalan, tells Fiskifréttir that demand stays steady, but Christmas drives the most significant sales.
The company imports only tails – 50 to 60 tonnes a year from Denmark. In 2018, sales reached 100 tonnes, half from Icelandic waters. Many people wrongly believe lobster is unavailable, hurting sales.
The imported lobster is the same species that is once fished in Iceland, Nephrops norvegicus.
Danish lobsters grow in slightly warmer waters and are a little smaller.
“We now just say they are caught on the other side of the line,” Guðjón says. In Denmark, stocks remain stable, and females spawn yearly; in Iceland, spawning happens every other year.
Collapse Warnings
Veteran fishermen have warned for years that heavy gear, powerful boats and a longer season threaten the sensitive grounds.
Fishing once runs from late May to early August; extending it from March to November adds strain. Guðjón tells Fiskifréttir that science and experience should have worked together. “We sacrificed the finest lobster grounds in the world on the altar of greed.”
From Riches to Ban
Lobster fishing in Iceland started in 1951. The record year was 1963 with over 6,000 tonnes landed.
From the late 1970s, catches fell, and recruitment dropped after 2005. In 2022, scientists advised a total ban.
Today, Icelandic lobster survives only as an import and a cherished Christmas tradition, reports Fiskifréttir.