Harvested in our own backyard

Naturally pure, there's not all that much we have to do with Calanus finmarchicus before it reaches you. Well… catching it helps

We harvest Calanus finmarchicus from the Norwegian Sea in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

Using innovative technology and thorough quality routines, we ensure that the product reaches you in its purest form.

A sustainable source

Our resource, Calanus finmarchicus is one of the world’s most sustainable marine resources, and Zooca® is committed to ensuring sustainability at every stage of the value chain. Through investment in specially developed technology, we ensure minimal impact on the marine environment

Balanced harvesting in the marine food chain

Overexploitation of marine resources at higher trophic levels creates imbalance in the marine food chain. Calanus finmarchicus, as a vital species in the ecosystem, is a key organism for energy transfer between trophic levels and part of the solution for balanced harvesting.

Calanus finmarchicus is part of a future solution for balanced harvesting in the marine ecosystem.

Harvesting Calanus finmarchicus ensures minimal ecosystem impact while utilizing a resource abundant in the Norwegian Sea’s lower food chain.

Did you know...

Every year it is estimated that out of the 290 million tonnes of Calanus finmarchicus in the Norwegian Sea

10% of the Calanus finmarchicus is eaten by fish and other animals

10% goes into hibernation at deeper water - reproducing the next year

80% dies and remineralize into inorganic form

Harvesting of Calanus finmarchicus, Norwegian Sea. The trawl seen from the stern and the open sea

Harvested in our backyard

Zooca® has developed a patented trawl technology specifically designed for harvesting Calanus finmarchicus. The trawl is wide and shallow, with a mesh size tailored to filter out water while retaining Calanus finmarchicus. This technology ensures minimal bycatch and a low carbon footprint.

The harvesting season is approximately from 1st of May to mid-August.

On the Norwegian coastal shelf from mid-Norway (Frohavet) to Finmark, including Tromsøflaket. However, this varies slightly from year to year. As Calanus distribution is dependent on oceanographic processes, there is a high variability between years.

Block with frozen copepods is opened inside the factory ready to start production

Regulatory Oversight and Compliance

The authority responsible for the management of the Calanus fishery is The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, acting as a secretariat for the Minister of Fisheries. The Department for Fisheries and Aquaculture is responsible for matters related to fisheries, the fishing fleet and the aquaculture industry. The major legal instrument under which this authority, enterprises and fishery operates is the Marine Resources Act (MRA). This legislative framework has an explicit precautionary approach based on sustainability principles. Calanus AS complies in total to the allocated quotas and precautionary principles in the MRA.