Iceland’s fishing fleet caught some 812,216 metric tons (MT) of wild-capture fish and shellfish in the first nine months of 2021, generating a first-sales value of almost ISK 118.4 billion (USD 909.5 million, EUR 805.4 million). These totals represent increases of 2 percent and 3 percent, respectively, compared with the opening three quarters of 2020.
The country’s demersal landings during January through September 2021 increased by 3 percent year-on-year to 362,732 MT, with the value down 1 percent to ISK 84.4 billion (USD 648.3 million, EUR 574.2 million). Of this, cod accounted for 210,070 MT and ISK 55.7 billion (USD 427.9 million, EUR 378.9 million), with total volume and value falling by 1 percent and 4 percent, respectively.
Boosting the category over the nine-month period, 41,530 MT of haddock earned ISK 11.1 billion (USD 85.3 million, EUR 75.5 million), 44,893 MT of saithe generated sales of ISK 6.6 billion (USD 50.7 million, EUR 44.9 million), and 38,882 MT of redfish made ISK 8.2 billion (USD 63 million, EUR 55.8 million).
Meanwhile, Iceland’s flatfish catch increased 10 percent in volume to 20,620 MT, also earning ISK 8.2 billion (USD 63 million, EUR 55.8 million), which was on par with the corresponding period of 2020.
Its shellfish landings were up 45 percent to 5,533 MT, valued at close to ISK 1.4 billion (USD 10.8 million, EUR 9.5 million), up 14 percent.
Meanwhile, the pelagic catch in the first nine months of this year totaled 423,321 MT, the same as a year previously, but the value climbed 21 percent to ISK 23.3 billion (USD 179 million, EUR 158.5 million).
The earnings upturn was largely attributable to a capelin catch of 70,725 MT, worth another NOK 8.2 billion (USD 63 million, EUR 55.8 million). No capelin was landed in 2020.
Also within the pelagic category, the herring volume dropped by 19 percent to 66,425 MT, worth ISK 3.5 billion (USD 26.9 million, EUR 23.8 million). The mackerel volume fell 13 percent to 131,987 MT, and value fell 23 percent to ISK 7.7 billion (USD 59.2 million, EUR 52.4 million). Blue whiting slipped 18 percent in size to 154,178 MT and was valued 28 percent lower than a year previously at ISK 3.9 billion (USD 30 million, EUR 26.5 million).
Official statistics also found that some 621,656 MT of the Icelandic catch, valued at ISK 67.9 billion (USD 521.6 million, EUR 461.9 million), went to domestic processing in the January through September period. This represented year-on-year increases of 4 percent and 9 percent, respectively.
At the same time, 71,372 MT of fish, valued at ISK 19.1 billion (USD 146.7 million, EUR 129.9 million), went to auction markets; 85,444 MT, with a value of ISK 24.7 billion (USD 189.8 million, EUR 168 million), was frozen at sea; and 18,395 MT of seafood, worth ISK 5.1 billion (USD 39.2 million, EUR 34.7 million), was exported in containers.
Photo courtesy of J_K/Shutterstock
