The total volume of fish and shellfish landed by the Icelandic fishing fleet in February 2024 fell by 56% or more than 84,000 tonnes year-on-year to 65,414 tonnes, according to preliminary figures for the month gathered by the country’s Directorate of Fisheries.
While demersal landings increased 10% to 37,594 tonnes, with the cod, haddock, saithe and redfish catches rising 4%, 19%, 10% and 17%, respectively, to 22,765 tonnes, 6,907 tonnes, 3,108 tonnes and 3,267 tonnes, the month’s pelagic catch tumbled 78% to 25,175 tonnes.
Within the pelagic category, there was a 303% upturn in blue whiting to 24,811 tonnes. But no capelin was caught versus 107,074 tonnes in February 2023.
At the same time, Iceland’s flatfish volume increased 7% to 1,521 tonnes and its shellfish catch dropped 44% to just 179 tonnes.
The Directorate of Fisheries’ data also determined that the March 2023 to February 2024 catch totalled 1,271,723 tonnes, which was 1% less than in the previous 12-month period. There were decreases in the demersal and shellfish categories of 11% and 13% respectively, with the volumes totalling 407,071 tonnes and 5,570 tonnes.
Pelagic and flatfish landings increased 5% and 2% on the previous 12 months to 834,676 tonnes and 24,352 tonnes, 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.
