Icelandic fleet continues to contract
The number of vessels in the Icelandic fishing fleet has continued its gradual decreasing trend, falling to 1,531 at the end of 2024, Statistics Iceland has confirmed.
While the amount of smaller and undecked boats stood at 820 and has not changed much in recent years, the number of trawlers and decked vessels has decreased – down to 37 trawlers, compared with 70 in 2004.
Moreover, the number of decked vessels is now 675 boats, having decreased by 194 since 2004.
As previously reported by WF, Icelandic vessels caught a total 995,296 tonnes of fish and shellfish in 2024, which represented a decrease of 28% compared with the previous year. The decline was mainly due to there being no capelin caught last year.
The total catch value based on preliminary figures, was approximately ISK 171 billion, which is 14% lower than in 2023.
