A total 993,972 tonnes of fish and shellfish was caught by Iceland’s fishing fleet in 2024, representing a decrease of 28% on the previous year’s volume (1.38 million tonnes), according to preliminary figures gathered by the Directorate of Fisheries.
The analysis finds that demersal landings increased 4% to 420,596 tonnes, with the cod, haddock and redfish catches rising 1%, 20% and 5%, respectively, to 221,765 tonnes, 83,732 tonnes and 41,072 tonnes. However, there was a 9% downturn in the year’s saithe volume, which totalled 38,461 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the fleet’s flatfish catch increased 3% to 24,389 tonnes, while its shellfish volume fell 36% year-on-year to 3,704 tonnes.
The big drop was in Iceland’s 2024 pelagic landings, which slumped 42% to 545,219 tonnes, with a 28% drop in herring (134,552 tonnes) and a 37% decrease in mackerel (89,615 tonnes). Also, no capelin was caught last year. The category’s only positive came via a 10% rise in the blue whiting volume, which totalled 321,047 tonnes.
