The total volume of fish and shellfish landed by the Icelandic fishing fleet in 2023 fell by 3% or almost 40,000 tonnes compared to the previous year to 1,374,823 tonnes, but the value of these catches increased 1% to more than ISK 197.3 billion, according to new figures from Statistics Iceland.
With a volume of 402,342 tonnes, 2023’s demersal catch value amounted to ISK 125.9 billion – both down 7% year-on-year. Within the category, the cod was the most important species in volume and value terms. Some 220,281 tonnes of cod were caught with an overall value of almost ISK 80.7 billion – down 10% and 5% respectively.
The volume of pelagic fish caught by the fleet fell 9% to 869,502 tonnes but the value increased 8% to ISK 51.6 billion. In this category, there were volume and value increases for both blue whiting and mackerel. The blue whiting catch totalled 292,858 tonnes (+53%) and ISK 11 billion (+64%), while last year’s mackerel amounted to 141,125 tonnes (+9%) and ISK 12.9 billion (+39%).
However, there were volume and value decreases for herring and capelin. The herring catch fell 40% in volume to 109,770 tonnes and 27% in value to ISK 8.9 billion. Capelin landings were down 28% in volume and 4 percent in value at 325,749 tonnes and less than ISK 18.8 billion.
Meanwhile, the fleet’s flatfish catch increased 8% in volume and 16% in value to 20,616 tonnes and ISK 12.2 billion, and its shellfish volume fell 5% year-on-year to 5,765 tonnes but held on to its value of ISK 1.2 billion.
Also according to the analysis, some 1,175,535 tonnes of the total catch was sold directly by the vessel owners to processors for ISK 132 billion. This was down 2% in volume but up 13% in value.
Just over 74,100 tonnes, valued at ISK 31.2 billion, was sold at auction – down 10% in volume but up 10% in value. And the frozen-at-sea catch totalled 103,424 tonnes and ISK 38.3 billion, representing declines of 3% and 9% respectively.
It’s expected that many key stakeholders from Iceland’s fisheries sector will be attending and supporting the 14th Icelandic Fisheries, Seafood & Aqua Exhibition (IceFish), taking place 18-20 September 2024 at the Smárinn, Fifan Halls Kópavogur, Iceland.
