Icelandic fishing and processing company Síldarvinnslan took delivery of its last mackerel of the season last week and the company’s two pelagic vessels switched immediately to Atlanto-Scandian herring.
Börkur made its final mackerel landing last week with 915 tonnes taken in four tows not far from the Norwegian line, with a 400 nautical mile steam home to land in Neskaupstaður. According to skipper Hálfdan Hálfdanarson, this was good-quality fish with an average weight of 400-430 grammes and with no feed in it, making it perfect for processing ashore.
He said that the season has gone well, after an unusual beginning with fishing mainly west of the Westmann Islands and in Faxaflói Bay.
“The fish seem to be spending longer here than before and the fishing has continued well into the autumn. Last year mackerel fishing began earlier and the Síldarvinnslan boats had finished heir quota by September. It speaks for itself that migration patterns vary form year to year, but what is clear is that there has been a large quantity of mackerel here, as the research showed,” he said.
Both Börkur and Beitir sailed as soon as they had finished landing their mackerel, and Beitir was back in Neskaupstaður a day later with 1000 tonnes of good sized, good quality herring.
According to skipper Tómas Kárason, this was a four-haul trip only 20-30 nautical miles offshore.
“There was plenty of herring, as there often is at this time of year. We went straight back out as soon as we had finished landing and things look unsettled ahead of us. We’re hoping to have made a decent catch before the storm sets in,” he said.
Börkur has also made a 1100 tonne Atlanto-Scandian herring landing since the end of the mackerel season and the Síldarvinnslan factory is currently operating at full capacity.
