The volume of fish and shellfish landed by the Iceland’s fishing fleet increased by 10% or 10,464 tonnes year-on-year in August 2023 to a total 114,483 tonnes, according to preliminary figures for the month gathered by the country’s Directorate of Fisheries. The increase was mainly attributed to larger demersal and pelagic catches versus August 2022.

Icelandic catch

Icelandic catch

Iceland’s August 2023 demersal landings increased 3% year-on-year to 32,385 tonnes

Demersal landings increased 3% to 32,385 tonnes, with the haddock catch increasing 29% year-on-year to 5,659 tonnes and redfish landings rising 32% to 6,036 tonnes. However, the cod volume fell 11% to 12,697 tonnes and the saithe total dropped 10% to 5,651 tonnes.

Last month’s pelagic catch increased 14% to 78,461 tonnes, thanks to a 17% rise in mackerel landings. There was also a 25% upturn in blue whiting to 1,150 tonnes. The herring volume slipped 16% to 6,298 tonnes, while there was no reported capelin caught.

Meanwhile, Iceland’s flatfish catch increased by 13% to 2,651 tonnes, but its shellfish landings dropped by the same margin to 979 tonnes.

The Directorate of Fisheries’ data also determined that the September 2022 to August 2023 catch totalled 1,370,121 tonnes, which was 9% less than in the previous 12-month period. There were decreases in the demersal and pelagic categories of 6% and 10% respectively, with the volumes totalling 407,025 tonnes and 931,606 tonnes. Shellfish landings increased 14% on the previous 12 months to 6,217 tonnes, and the total flatfish landings lifted 23% to 25,172 tonnes.

Topics