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Icelandic pelagic vessels have landed around 15,000 tonnes of Icelandic summer spawning herring so far this year in Síldarvinnslan factories. Photo: Smári Geirsson
Síldarvinnslan’s offshore pelagic vessels have landed around 15,000 tonnes of Icelandic summer spawning herring so far this year.
Most of the herring has been caught in the west of the country, but some Icelandic summer spawning herring with Norwegian-Icelandic herring have also been caught east of the country, according to the fish processors website.
Yesterday, the company reported that their fishing vessel Börkur NK was en route to the Neskaupstaður plant, carrying an impressive catch of 1,400 tonnes of Icelandic summer spawning herring, caught in the western waters of the country.
The website reported, “Anticipation is high as the ship is expected to dock at the port later this evening, marking the beginning of the catch processing at Síldarvinnslan fish processing plant.”
The Master of Börkur, Ólaf Gunnar Guðnason, shared insights into the successful venture while the ship was still at sea off Hraunhafnartanga on Melrakkaslétta.
He described the herring as “the most beautiful herring ever,” with an average weight of 290 – 310 grams.
The fishing expedition took place to the north on the edge of Látragrunn, reaching further north than previous years in the western region. The catch, obtained from four distinct hauls, included three hauls yielding around 400 tonnes each and one with 150 tonnes. Ólafur Gunnar expressed satisfaction, stating, “The hunt went brilliantly well.”
The processing of herring has been ongoing at the Síldarvinnslan fish processing plant in Neskaupstaður.
Since Sunday morning, 12 November, this week it has process 1,250 tonnes of Icelandic summer spawning herring from Börkur NK Additionally, the vessel Vilhelm Þorsteinsson EA, which arrived with 1,500 tonnes obtained from the west, and Beitir NK arrived the harbour in Neskaupstaður the previous day, carrying 910 tonnes of herring from the east.
Sturla Þórðarson, Master of Beitir NK, shared insights into the eastern catch, stating, “Yes, there was quite a bit of herring there. We were fishing off Glettinganes and deep into the depths of Seyðisfjarðardjúp, taking four short haulss. We only towed for an hour-and-a-half in each haul. The herring obtained here is a mix of Norwegian-Icelandic herring and Icelandic summer spawning herring, with the Icelandic variety comprising about 30 – 40% of the catch. The Faroese have also been fishing in these areas, but they have been significantly further offshore.”
Síldarvinnslan believes the success of these recent fishing trips are promising for the local industry, highlighting the abundance and quality of the herring stock in Icelandic waters.
