As Iceland’s capelin season approaches its end for this year, the high-value roe-bearing capelin are in the spotlight.
Capelin reach the critical point of the right roe maturity for the Japanese market as their migration takes them into waters off western Iceland, where fishing is now concentrated.
The first landing of roe capelin was made to Brim’s Akranes production plant at the beginning of the week when Venus landed 500 tonnes caught off the west coast, the first capelin landing to Akranes in three years as both 2019 and 2020 were zero-quota years – and the 2021 quota is a very modest one.
East coast fishing and processing company Síldarvinnslan is also preparing for its first landing of roe-bearing capelin, as pelagic vessel Beitir is steaming to Neskaupstaður with roughly 2000 tonnes in its tanks.
Beitir and Börkur have also been fishing off western Iceland. Beitir’s catch was 1750 tonnes in three purse seine shots, and as Börkur had 400 tonnes in its first shot, its catch was pumped into Beitir’s tanks.
Börkur and Bjarni Ólafsson are on the fishing grounds and expect to manage their fishing so that catches can be delivered to the Neskaupstaður factory at intervals to maintain production at a steady rate.
