Iceland’s fishing fleet landed a total 131,119 metric tons (MT) of fish and shellfish last month, some 16 percent more than in August 2019. With the exception of shellfish, there were increases across all the main fisheries categories.
According to the preliminary data gathered by the country’s Directorate of Fisheries, August’s demersal catch increased by 10 percent year-on-year to 38,900 MT, with cod landings rising by 22 percent to 20,104 MT, and a 12 percent increase in redfish to 5,949 MT.
Last month’s haddock and saithe landings fell by 4 percent and 9 percent respectively to 4,286 MT and 6,868 MT.
Overall, Iceland’s pelagic catch climbed 18 percent to 88,832 MT. Within the category, mackerel landings were up 28 percent to 85,530 MT, but the herring and blue whiting volumes fell by 65 percent and 37 percent respectively to 2,582 MT and 720 MT.
While the country’s flatfish catch increased by 27 percent to 2,777 MT, its shellfish volume slipped by 11 percent to 9,660 MT.
The authority also totaled the combined September 2019 to August 2020 catch at just over 1 million MT, a fall of 7 percent year-on-year. This reduction included a 6 percent decrease in the demersal species group at 461,657 MT, 8 percent less pelagics at 520,005 MT, a 27 percent fall in the shellfish landed with 7,005 MT, and 3 percent fewer flatfish at 22,499 MT.
In 2019, Iceland’s wild-capture fisheries landings amounted to a total 1,048,202 MT, which was 17 percent less than in 2018. The decrease was mostly attributed to zero capelin catch, but there were also declines in the volumes of flatfish and shellfish. The demersal catch was on par with the previous year.
Its aquaculture sector harvested 34,000 MT of products last year, which was 80 percent more than the 19,100 MT produced in 2018.
Photo courtesy of Johann Ragnarsson/Shutterstock
