Iceland’s fishing fleet caught some 563,609 metric tons (MT) of wild-capture fish and shellfish in Q1 2022, generating a first-sales value of ISK 55.8 billion (USD 434.2 million, EUR 404.9 million). These year-start totals represent increases of 136 percent and 28 percent compared with Q1 2021.
Between January and March 2022, Iceland’s demersal landings decreased by 18 percent year-on-year to 113,220 MT, with the value up 5 percent to almost ISK 34.4 billion (USD 236.6 million, EUR 245.8 million). Of this, cod accounted for 72,437 MT and ISK 23.7 billion (USD 186.1 million, EUR 173.5 million), with the volume falling by 15 percent and the value rising 5 percent.
Also in Q1 2022, Icelandic vessels caught 12,267 MT of haddock, earning ISK 4.3 billion (USD 31 million, EUR 28.9 million), 14,628 MT of saithe generating sales of ISK 3.1 billion (USD 24 million, EUR 22.4 million), and 8,556 MT of redfish making ISK 2.2 billion (USD 15.5 million, EUR 14.5 million) in revenue.
Meanwhile, Iceland’s flatfish catch decreased 40 percent in volume to 3,278 MT, earning ISK 1.9 billion (USD 14.7 million, EUR 13.7 million), a drop of 6 percent. Its shellfish landings were down 22 percent to 506 MT, valued at ISK 116 million (USD 899,351, EUR 838,749), down 25 percent.
Iceland’s pelagic catch in Q1 2022 totaled 446,297 MT, up 368 percent on Q1 2022, and worth ISK 19.4 billion (USD 147.3 million, EUR 137.4 million), a jump of 136 percent. The rise was largely attributable to a capelin catch of 446,196 MT – a 531 percent rise in the volume.
But also within the pelagic category, the herring volume fell 94 percent to 101 MT, worth ISK 3 million (USD 23,259, EUR 21,692), while no mackerel or blue whiting catches were recorded in the period.
Photo courtesy of Johann Ragnarsson/Shutterstock
