Atlantic halibut - Hippoglossus hippoglossus

Distribution Th e Atlantic halibut is distributed throughout the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean and in parts of the Arctic Ocean (Fig.1) (1). Th e species is particularly abundant along the Norwegian coast, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and southern Greenland. It may also be encountered in the North Sea and the western part of the Baltic Sea. Along the east coast of North America, the halibut is distributed from Hudson Strait southward to the southern Grand Bank and St. Pierre Bank. Capture Th e Atlantic halibut has been an attractive species for European fi shermen, and high fi shing intensity has resulted in depletion of stocks in several areas (2). Th e capture of Atlantic halibut in Europe has declined from an all time high of 10 000-15 000 tonnes in the period 1950 to 1965, to less than 2 000 tonnes in 2004 (3). In 2004, the main countries fi shing for Atlantic halibut were Norway (1,034 tonnes), Iceland (574 tonnes), Faeroe Islands (497 tonnes), and United Kingdom (251 tonnes). 1 Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway