Yachtsmen and other lovers of sea-food are being urged to eat the Norwegian Red king crab and in doing so help save the fishing industry.

More than 50 million of the giants – which can snap a man’s finger between their claws – have infested Norwegian waters and worked their way south to the Lofoten Islands.

Introduced into the Barents Sea by Joe Stalin, they scrabble across the sea-bed packing up to two pounds of edible meat each.