A total of 17,000 tonnes of products from pelagic species have been processed this year at HB Grandi’s Vopnafjördur factory, smashing the company''s previous production record of 12,700 tonnes set in 2004.
In 2004 around half of production was whole frozen capelin, but now the bulk of production is herring and mackerel products.
According to the Vopnafjördur factory’s plant manager Magnús Róbertsson, the Icelandic company managed to freeze around 1,000 tonnes of capelin products this year, most of which was frozen capelin roe.
Fishing on Atlanto-Scandian herring began in June and the Vopnafjördur factory has handled close to 11,000 tonnes of herring so far.
There has also been substantial production of mackerel for human consumption this year with 4,800 tonnes processed during the season. By comparison, last year the Vopnafjördur factory last year put around 6,000 tonnes of Atlanto-Scandian herring through its freezers and practically no mackerel
Meanwhile, HB Grandi's purse seiner/pelagic trawler Ingunn AK has been in port in Reykjavík preparing to start fishing on Icelandic summer spawning herring.
There has been some uncertainty over this year's season and whether or not the stock would support a quota this autumn, but the fisheries minister has issued a 15,000 tonne initial quota, of which HB Grandi has an 1,800 tonne share.
According to Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson of the company's pelagic division, the decision was taken to send Ingunn to fish Icelandic summer spawning herring as weather conditions are predicted to be difficult off the east coast where the fleet has been fishing for Atlanto-Scandian herring.
The forecast for the west coast looks more favourable and there are also significant amounts of Icelandic summer spawning herring to be found in Breidafjördur at the moment.
According to Vilhjálmsson, the company has 1,400 tonnes of its Atlanto-Scandian herring quota left and conditions in the next few days will determine whether or not this will be pursued this year or carried over to next year.
