Minimum sizes for salt water species
Some species have restrictions on the size of fish you can keep. This is to ensure that the fish reaches spawning size, hereby safeguarding the reproductive capacity of the stock. If you catch a fish that is below minimum size requirements, please release it to its natural habitat in the manner that causes the least harm to the fish.
Note that tourists is only allowed to use handheld tackle. Species that you can only catch legally with other gear than handheld tackle is prohibited to fish.
If you catch a fish which is smaller than the minimum size, you must wet your hands with sea water and carefully free the fish from the fishing tackle then release it back to sea. If the fish is dead or not capable of surviving, you can keep it to eat. In order to avoid catching a number of fish under the minimum size, you can for example move to a new fishing area or try using larger fish hooks.
Different ways to measure fish and other seafoods
- The length of the fish is measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the outermost rays of the groove.
- Lobster and crayfish is measured from the tip of the forehead horn to the rear edge of the middle swim tab.
- Shrimps is measured from the front of the eye to the rear edge of the tail.
- Crab is measured over the largest width of the shell.
- Iceland scallop is measured as the longest length from the shell hinge to the opposite shell edge.
- Large scallop is measured over the longest length of the shell.
- King crab is measured from the inner end of the eye cavity to the back of the back of the back of the back.
Complete table of minimum sizes
Species | Minimum size | Minimum size |
North of 62°N | South of 62°N | |
| cod | 44 cm | 40 cm |
| halibut | 80 cm | 80 cm |
| redfish | 32 cm | 32 cm |
| wolffish | no minimum size | no minimum size |
| saithe | no minimum size | no minimum size |
| haddock | 40 cm | 31 cm |
| whiting | 32 cm | 32 cm |
| hake | 30 cm | 30 cm |
| mare flounder | 28 cm | 28 cm |
| dab | 23 cm | 23 cm |
| lemon sole | 25 cm | 25 cm |
| sole | 24 cm | 24 cm |
| turbot | 30 cm | 30 cm |
| brill | 30 cm | 30 cm |
| megrim | 25 cm | 25 cm |
| European flounder | 20 cm | 20 cm |
| European eel | 40 cm | 40 cm |
| silver eel | 37 cm | 37 cm |
| dogfish | 70 cm | 70 cm |
| Greenland halibut | 45 cm | 45 cm |
| mackerell | no minimum size | no minimum size |
| North Sea herring | no minimum size | 20 cm |
| Norwegian spring-spawning herring | 25 cm | 25 cm |
| herring (Trondheimsfjorden) | 23 cm | 23 cm |
| capelin | 11 cm | no minimum size |
| wrasse (except ballan wrasse and corkwing wrasse) | 11 cm | 11 cm |
| corkwing wrasse | 12 cm | 12 cm |
| ballan wrasse | 14 cm | 14 cm |
| sandeel | 10 cm | 10 cm |
| sprat | 10 cm | 10 cm |
| bluefin tuna | 115 cm and | 115 cm and |
| snow crab | 10 cm | 10 cm |
| silver smelt | 27 cm | 27 cm |
| shrimp | 6 cm | 6,5 cm |
| Norway lobster | 13 cm | 13 cm |
| European lobster | 25 cm | 25 cm |
| Iceland scallop | 6,5 cm | no minimum size |
| great scallop | 10 cm | 10 cm |
North of Rogaland | From the Swedish border to and including the region of Rogaland. | |
| edible crab | 13 cm | 11 cm |
|
| In SkagerrakSkagerrak is delimited to the west by a straight line through Lindesnes lighthouse and Hanstholmen lighthouse, and to the south by a straight line through Skagen lighthouse and Tistlarna lighthouse. | Outside Skagerrak |
| plaice | 27 cm | 29 cm |
| herring | 18 cm | no minmum size |
|
| East of 26°E | West of 26°E |
| red king crab | 13 cm | 13 cm |