TARGETED BLUE WHITING FISHERY ENDS

Venus NS is now landing at Vopnafjördur after docking yesterday with 1800-1900 tonnes of blue whiting on board. This ends HB Grandi’s targeted fishery on blue whiting for the time being.

According to Ingimundur Ingimundsson, fleet manager for HB Grandi’s pelagic fleet, 30,400 tonnes have been caught this season. The company’s total quota for the year is 42,900 tonnes, so direct fishing on blue whiting can be expected to resume in the autumn once the mackerel and Atlanto-Scandian herring seasons are over.

The quota is approximately 2000 tonnes higher than last year’s when the catch was 40,500 tonnes. This year’s first landing was on the 23rd of April, while last year the first landing at Vopnafjördur took place on the the 30th of March. The difference is accounted for by HB Grandi’s pelagic vessels fetching 4000 tonnes last year by fishing early in the season west of Ireland, while this year they waited for the blue whiting to migrate northwards into Faroese waters before starting fishing.

According to Ingimundur Ingimundsson, there is also a difference in the blue whiting behaviour pattern, with the fish migrating further east than it did last year.