Due to the lowest total allowable catch (TAC) quotas ever, the price of cold water prawns has increase by more than 40% in the last few months. With quotas expected to further reduce to protect future stocks, Royal Greenland is offering foodservice customers top tips to improve the plate presence of prawns to help chefs and restaurateurs command higher prices for dishes.
Randall Jennings, managing director for the UK of Royal Greenland, said: “Since the early 1980s and up until 2004, yearly catches of cold water prawns increased at an average rate of 6% per year to a level of around 450,000 tonnes worldwide.
“However, for the last 10 years we have witnessed a decline of around 4% year on year, lowering the TAC to 321,000 tonnes in 2012. As quotas are reduced substantially to protect existing stock, the price of cold water prawns will continue to rise until supply can better meet demand.”
Royal Greenland has provided five tips for cooking and serving cold water prawns, these include complimenting prawns with flavours such as avocado, asparagus, apple, mango and dill; promoting provenance by adding a line to menus about quality; and adding Bloody Mary shots to accompany a traditional prawn cocktail.
The availability of cold water prawns is expected to remain at the current level for some time. Biologists at Greenland's Institute for Natural Resources recommend to further reduce the TAC by 25,0000 tonnes in 2015, with reasons including the declining biomass off shore and an increase in cod – the cold water prawn’s natural predator – in prawn fishing areas.
Royal Greenland has over 200 years’ experience and employs around 1,700 people around the world. The company is an environmentally responsible company and works in conjunction with NGOs and institutions such as the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and MSC in order to promote responsible fishing and fishing practises.