The commercial fishing sector in Iceland generated total first-sales approaching ISK 142.6 billion (USD 1.1 billion, EUR 1 billion) in the 12 months through August 2019, representing an increase of 14 percent year-on-year.
According to preliminary figures gathered by the Direcrorate of Fisheries, this double-digit rise is thanks to higher earnings by the demersal sector, which increased its earnings by 23 percent to ISK 108.5 billion (USD 873.6 million, EUR 787.8 million).
Within the demersal category, the cod value lifted 17.9 percent to almost ISK 67 billion (USD 539.5 million, EUR 486.5 million). There were also increases in the catch values of haddock of 54 percent, saithe of 46.6 percent and redfish of 11.7 percent; with first-sales of ISK 14.4 billion (USD 116 million, EUR 104.6 million), ISK 10.3 billion (USD 82.9 million, EUR 74.8 million) and ISK 11.5 billion (USD 92.6 million, EUR 83.5 million) respectively.
Meanwhile, the Icelandic fleet’s pelagic catch value for the same period fell 7.2 percent year-on-year to less than ISK 22.8 billion (USD 183.6 million, EUR 165.6 million). Within this category, the mackerel earnings increased by 29.4 percent to ISK 10.5 billion (USD 84.6 million, EUR 76.2 million), the herring value was up 17.4 percent to just under ISK 5 billion (USD 40.2 million, EUR 36.3 million), and the blue whiting revenues improved by 15.8 percent to ISK 7.3 billion (USD 58.8 million, EUR 53 million). However, no capelin was sold.
At the same time, the shellfish revenues amounted to just under ISK 1.9 billion (USD 15.3 million, EUR 13.8 million), down 28.2 percent, and the total flatfish catch value fell 3 percent to less than ISK 9.5 billion (USD 76.5 million, EUR 69 million).
Over the course of the 12-month period, ISK 75.6 billion (USD 608.9 million, EUR 549.1 million) worth of Iceland’s total catch went directly for domestic processing, an increase of 8.1 percent, while ISK 22.5 billion (USD 181.2 million, EUR 163.4 million) worth was sold at auction for domestic processing, an increase of 21.7 percent).
Landings valued at ISK 6.7 billion (USD 54 million, EUR 48.7 million) were exported in containers (+17.8 percent), and the frozen-at-sea catch was up 17.8 percent year-on-year to ISK 37.1 billion (USD 298.7 million, EUR 269.4 million).
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