A lift in the pelagic catch led the total volume of fish and shellfish landed by Iceland’s fishing fleet in November 2024 to rise by 7% or more than 6,300 tonnes year-on-year to 93,958 tonnes, according to preliminary figures for the month gathered by the country’s Directorate of Fisheries.
Last month’s pelagic volume increased 24% year-on-year to 59,773 tonnes, with a 224% higher blue whiting catch (23,549 tonnes). The herring catch fell 12% to just 36,224 tonnes, while no capelin or mackerel were recorded.
Iceland’s demersal landings were down 13% compared with November 2023 at 32,472 tonnes, with the cod, haddock and saithe catches falling 16%, 11% and 38% respectively, to 18,711 tonnes, 6,184 tonnes and 2,093 tonnes. The redfish volume increased 2% to 3,423 tonnes.
Meanwhile, Iceland’s flatfish volume in November was up 1% to 1,624 tonnes and its shellfish catch dropped 64% to 81 tonnes.
The Directorate of Fisheries’ data also determined the December 2023 to November 2024 catch totalled 979,118 tonnes, which was 29% less than in the previous 12-month period. It found decreases in the pelagic and shellfish fisheries, amounting to 532,842 tonnes (-44%) and 3,781 tonnes (-34%), respectively.
Iceland’s demersal catch for the period increased 4%, thanks largely to a 20% upturn in the haddock volume, which reached 83,169 tonnes. Cod catches totalled 222,726 tonnes – up 1% year-on-year.
There was almost no change in the flatfish volume at 23,995 tonnes.
