The cost of crab rolls significantly increases.

15 euros for a crab roll? Such extravagant pricing isn't shocking in certain locations. Fishing hauls have plummeted, forcing some companies to cease production of this North Sea classic altogether. The future of the fishermen is also uncertain. The industry is now pinning their hopes on the late summer.

North Sea crabs have become pricey and scarce. "It's not just about money these days," says Philipp Oberdörffer, a fisheries consultant at the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture. Some discount stores no longer stock North Sea crabs. A few restaurants in the north have stopped serving crab dishes or only serve them in small quantities. Oberdörffer explains that the amount of crabs caught isn't sufficient to satisfy everyone.

Numerous holiday spots still offer crab dishes, but patrons must fork out considerably more for them than they did previously. For example, a crab roll cost 15 euros at the jetties in Hamburg at the start of May. In the vacation resorts of Travemünde and Timmendorfer Strand, the roll, a popular choice for tourists, also demanded similar payment.

The German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) claims crab prices are currently sky-high. However, most restaurateurs are not passing these increased costs onto customers and aren't raking in large profits from these dishes. The longevity of this affordability is unknown.

Gosch holds the price on Sylt

The fishmonger Gosch currently supplies crab rolls across most locations while remarking that the situation has improved rather than deteriorated compared to March and April. Crabs are incredibly expensive, but at least they're available, says a spokesperson from the company. At the beginning of March and April, this was much more dire. "It was not only a matter of whether and how much we could sell crab rolls to our guests, but also whether we could acquire any goods at all."

Consequently, Gosch solely offered crab rolls in Sylt. The spokesperson involves that the roll still costs 6.50 euros there because it's a "sentimental choice" for the business owner. They acknowledged that prior to this, there had experienced periodical price fluctuations regarding North Sea crabs' availability. However, they've never faced such dire scarcity.

"The situation is unique because the low catches have persisted for years," states fish expert Oberdörffer. "We've been experiencing below-average catches in the German shrimp fishery for four to five years now." Oberdörffer points out that on average, German shrimp fishermen caught between 12,000 and 13,000 tons from 2000 to 2015. In 2023, the quantity dropped to between 5,500 and 6,000 tons.

Extreme scarcity and depleted stockpiles

Catches in other countries were also astonishingly low last year and couldn't offset the slight catches in Germany. The price would've soared instantly, but in the initial stages, achieving such increases on the market was almost impossible. "It took until the autumn of 2023 for prices to climb significantly."

The current elevated prices hinge on the extreme scarcity and depleted stockpiles. "Naturally, sales have plunged, as demand vastly outstrips catch volumes," says Oberdörffer. "Nonetheless, we hope that this imbalance will normalize in late summer since the new crab season will begin, potentially allowing for larger catches at reasonable prices." Predicting future catches and cost is impossible. The number and pricing of crabs are contingent on various factors - including the weather, food supply, and predators.

Will the amount of crabs in existence and their price tags remain the same in the future? This question marks uncertainty in light of potential political decisions. The EU Commission aims to forbid fishing with bottom trawls - a common practice employed by crab fishermen. Bottom trawls are a type of fishing equipment drawn along by a boat, designed for catching flatfish and crabs on the seabed. Environmentalists decry the fishing method for harming the seabed and the creatures who live there.

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Prices for North Sea crabs have reached unprecedented heights due to the scarcity of catches, making them a luxury item for many restaurants and consumers. Despite the high prices, some businesses, like Gosch on Sylt, are managing to keep their crab roll prices relatively low because they prioritize maintaining the dish's popularity.

Even with the North Sea crab's rising prices and dwindling stocks, some holiday spots continue to offer crab dishes, though at a substantial premium compared to earlier times. For instance, a crab roll now costs 15 euros at some popular vacation spots like Hamburg, Travemünde, and Timmendorfer Strand.

Source: www.ntv.de