These bright red sea creatures are a well-known icon of the northern coast of Norway and a staple of the local diet, yet they are a relatively recent arrival. First introduced to the Barents Sea in the ’60s by Russians, the crabs have now proliferated along the long Norwegian coast and some fear they could make their way as far as Spain, fundamentally changing the makeup of life under the sea. The arctic king crab is now a key driver of Finnmark’s economy, with many locals working as fishermen or in processing factories.
