The Icelandic fishing fleet landed seafood with a total value of ISK 137.1 billion (USD 1.2 billion, EUR 1.1 billion) in the 12 months from November 2015 to October 2016, representing a decrease of 10 percent year-on-year.
During this period, the value of the country’s demersal, pelagic and shellfish catches decreased by 6.1 percent, 21.7 percent and 12.5 percent respectively, while a 2.4 percent value increase was posted for its flatfish landings, according to new figures published by Statistics Iceland.
The country’s demersal catch achieved a value of ISK 96.1 billion (USD 825.1 million, EUR 771.1 million), with only cod and ocean redfish posted any increase in value – up 0.5 percent and 5.2 percent to ISK 59.8 billion (USD 513.5 million, EUR 479.9 million) and ISK 597.4 million (USD 5.1 million, EUR 4.8 million) respectively.
Iceland’s pelagic earnings totaled ISK 27.8 billion (USD 238.7 million, EUR 223.1 million), with the only growth provided by mackerel blue whiting – up 5.2 percent to ISK 10.9 billion (USD 93.6 million, EUR 87.5 million) and 3.1 percent to ISK 5.5 billion (USD 47.2 million, EUR 44.1 million) respectively. The value of the Icelandic herring and capelin catches were down 8.9 percent and 61.1 percent to ISK 6.4 billion (USD 55 million, EUR 51 million) and ISK 4.9 billion (USD 42.1 million, EUR 39.3 million) respectively.
The value of Iceland’s flatfish landings increased to ISK 9.6 billion (USD 82.4 million, EUR 77.1 million); while its shellfish catch value amounted to ISK 3.6 billion (USD 30.9 million, EUR 28.9 million).
Around ISK 71.8 billion (USD 616.5 million, EUR 576.2 million) worth of Iceland’s catch during the 12-month period went directly for domestic processing, while ISK 20 billion (USD 171.8 million, EUR 160.5 million) worth was sold at auction for domestic processing in the 12-month period.
Landings valued at ISK 5.3 billion (USD 45.5 million, EUR 42.5 million) were exported in containers and the frozen-at-sea catch totaled ISK 38.9 billion (USD 334 million, EUR 312 million).
