Coldwater Shrimps (Crangon and Pandalus)

Biology and habitat

Species description Crangon crangon(1), Species descriptionCrangon Pandalus borealis(2)
The Crangon shrimp, also called common shrimp or brown shrimp, belongs to the family of Crangonidae.
Pandalus shrimp, also called Northern prawn or pink shrimp, belongs to the family of Pandalidae.
Both shrimp families are fished and marketed within the EU. 
 

Geographical distribution and habitat Crangon crangon(1), Geographical distribution and habitat Pandalus borealis(2)
Crangon shrimps can be found in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Black Sea and in European inland waters, but are mostly caught in the North Sea. Pandalus can be found in Northern Atlantic and in the Pacific Ocean.

Resource, exploitation and management

Stock and resource status/conservation measures

TACs  are set for Pandalus borealis.

The only European legislation on brown shrimp fisheries is focusing on technical measures (use of sieve net and minimum mesh size). Other management initiatives are local and include licences and closed areas.

Production methods and fishing gears of Crangon crangon(1), Production methods and fishing gears of Pandalus borealis(2)
The main fishing gears used are trawls, beam trawls, bottom pair trawls and otter twin trawls.

Source: Information system on commercial designations Crangon crangon(1), Information system on commercial designations Pandalus borealis(2)

Catches

Evolution of world catches of common shrimps (Crangon crangon)

• The common shrimp (Crangon crangon), is a highly valued commercial species fished in the north-eastern Atlantic, especially the North Sea. The EU and the UK provide the totality of world catches of common shrimps that reached 16.175 tonnes in 2023. The Netherlands and Germany are the main EU producers, accounting for 85% of common shrimp catches in 2023. Over the last decade (2014-2023), the common shrimp production decreased by 64%, though it peaked in 2018 at 52.000 tonnes.

Source: FAO

Evolution of the world catches of Northern prawn (Pandalus borealis)

• The world production of Northern prawn has steadily decreased over the period between 2014-2017 with a total decline of 15% but has increased since then by 13% (i.e. between 2017-2023). In 2023, catches amounted to 251.758 tonnes. Overall, world catches of Northern prawn decreased by 4% since 2014. During the same period, Greenland and Canada have been the main producers. They accounted for 61% of the world production in 2023.
• In 2023, the EU only provided 12% of the global Northern prawn catches (30.794 tonnes). Main EU producers were Estonia, Lithuania, and Denmark.

Source: FAO 

Aquaculture production

There is no aquaculture production of common shrimp and Northern prawn.

Processing

The main product of shrimp fishery is peeled shrimp sold in the EU. Most of EU peeling units are based in Morocco. Shrimps (mainly common shrimp) caught in the North Sea by the EU fleet are sent by trucks to Morocco to be peeled by hands in specialised units, where peeling is mainly carried out by women and then exported to the EU.

Trade

Combined nomenclature of Crangon crangon(1), Combined nomenclature of Pandalus borealis(2) 
 

EU-27 trade of coldwater shrimp products (2024, tonnes):

Data concern shrimps of the species Crangon crangon and Pandalus species

• Extra EU imports concerned mainly cooked-frozen shrimps (98% of EU imports in 2024). Main suppliers were Greenland (47.550 tonnes) and to a lesser extent Faroe Isalnds and Canada (4.339 tonnes and 3.587 tonnes respectively). Denmark was the largest EU importer from third countries (96% of the EU imports in 2024 in volume terms).

Source: EUROSTAT-COMEXT

• Extra EU exports concerned mostly cooked-frozen shrimps (87% of EU exports) and to lesser extent live and fresh shrimps (11%). China represented circa a half (47%; 30.016 tonnes) of the EU exports to third countries. Denmark was the main exporter and represented 69% of the extra-EU exports in 2024. While Denmark targeted the Chinese market (almost all the Chinese imports of Coldwater shrimps from the EU were originating from Denmark), the Netherlands targeted the Moroccan market (83% of the Moroccan imports from the EU originated from the Netherlands). The Dutch exports correspond to the catches of shrimps made by the Dutch fleet in the North Sea that are sent by trucks to Morocco to be peeled by specialised units, sometimes owned by Dutch companies. Peeled shrimps are then re-exported to the EU market under CN codes which do not allow to distinguish Coldwater shrimps.

Source: EUROSTAT-COMEXT

Supply balance

EU supply balance (2023) – Tonnes of live weight equivalent – Northern prawn (Pandalus borealis)

Source: FAO/ EUROSTAT-COMEXT

Supply balance is provided for the year 2023 (trade data for 2023 were taken into account). Detailed trade data provided in the slides 4 and 5 concern the year 2024.
The conversion factors were used to convert net weight of imports and exports of fishery and aquaculture products into live weight equivalents.

Prices along the supply chain (EUR/kg)

First-sale (fresh, frozen and boiled/cooked)
First-sale prices are provided for fresh, frozen and boiled/cooked shrimps in the main producer Member States.

(*) From January to August 2025

Wholesale (fresh, frozen and boiled/cooked)
Wholesale prices are provided for Rungis in France (fresh and frozen common shrimp).

(*) From January to October 2025

Extra-EU import (frozen)
Import prices are provided for Denmark, which is by far the main importer in the EU from third countries. Prices concern coldwater shrimps.

(*) From January to September 2025

Extra-EU export (frozen)
Export prices are provided for Denmark and the Netherlands, the main exporters within the EU. Prices concern coldwater shrimps.

(*) From January to September 2025

Marketing

National lists of commercial designations

Information system on commercial designations and scientific names in all EU languages of Crangon crangon(1), Information system on commercial designations and scientific names in all EU languages of Pandalus borealis(2)

Applicable marketing standards Crangon crangon(1), Applicable marketing standards Pandalus borealis(2)

Consumption

Shrimps (all species included) represent the fourth species group the most consumed in the EU (source: The EU Fish Market – 2025 edition, EUMOFA)

Apparent consumption of coldwater shrimps, per capita in 2023: 0,05 kg live weight equivalent (source: Supply balance - 2023, EUMOFA)

Nutritional value (Northern prawn, nutrition values per serving 100 g)