The Icelandic pelagic fleet have reported unsteady catches as the mackerel shoals remain scattered. Photo: Síldvarvinnslan\Smári Geirsson
Iceland’s pelagic fleet have reported unsteady catches in their mackerel fishery this week, but the processing factory is being kept busy reports Síldarvinnslán.
The factories are getting steady deliveries of fresh mackerel due to the cooperation agreement between the boats and the 89-metre Vilheim Torsteinsson EA arrived in Neskaupstadur yesterday is unloading 1,100 tonnes.
On Tuesday 18 June, the 72-metre Margrét EA came to Neskaupstadur to unload 800 tonnes of mackerel.
The Icelandic boats reported good mackerel fishing in the edges of the Skeiðarárdyp, and the vessels in the fishing partnership had more than 1,000 tonnes by the end of the day, with each vessel’s catch registering between 200 and 318 tonnes. Five vessels participate in the fishing partnership, namely Barði NK, Beitir NK, Börkur NK and Vilhelm Þorsteinsson EA as well as Margrét EA.
There were smaller catches registered on Tuesday. Barði and Beitir had about 70 tonnes each, while Börkur had 150 tonnes. All the catches were pumped on board the Barði, as has become customary for the Síldvarvinnslan boats.
At the weekend the Börkur NK landed 1,440 tonnes and the Beitir NK landed 1,100 tonnes.
Síldarvinnslan spoke to Tómas Kárason, captain of Beitir, and asked him how the mackerel fishing was going. He said:
“The mackerel is big and beautiful. They are a 520 to 530 grams fish, but it has quite a lot to eat. The fishing has been uneven lately and it was a bloody mess before we went ashore. We were fishing 120 miles east-southeast of Norðfjarðarhorn, but now the boats have come quite a bit further north and had some of the most decent catches last night.
“The Faroese were fishing very well inside the Faroese jurisdiction yesterday. They were getting up to a 600 tonne a haul. It can be assumed that the fish is moving northwest along and into Icelandic jurisdiction.
We are five Sílarvinnslan ships and a Samherji ship working together on the fishing, and it is going very well.
“We started this fishing partnership and now various others have followed in our footsteps. The cooperation is especially important when there is not a lot of fishing because then fresher catch is being brought to shore than otherwise.
“This season is different from last year in that much more has been caught within Icelandic jurisdiction. Last year there were more people in Smugann, but it has been bad there now. I am optimistic about the future. Although the fishing is uneven from one time to the next, it looks good and perhaps the most important thing is that the fishing should be within Icelandic jurisdiction,” Tómas concluded.