HB Grandi news: It's all down to the weather

‘The only thing we're praying for is a good winter. Everything depends on the weather. If it's good, we can catch our capelin quota, but if it's the same as last year, it's clear that there won't be a hope of catching it all. There could be quite a shortfall there,' said Gudlaugur Jónsson, skipper of HB Grandi's pelagic vessel Ingunn AK, now fishing in poor weather 70 nautical miles east of Nordfjördur, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to HB Grandi.

One of the most experienced pelagic skippers in the fleet, Gudlaugur Jónsson said that it is great news that the capelin quota has been generously increased in the light of the Marine Research Institute's recommendations.

‘It's the conclusion we had been hoping for. There's plenty of capelin, but the difference between the situation now and so often before is that the capelin are very widely dispersed as they come in closer to land. Otherwise, the capelin are on their usual migration route southwards along the edge off the eastern fjords, and there's every likelihood that they will turn up shortly in shallow water in large amounts. The fish are moving quite quickly, but with the bad weather we're working in at the moment, it's difficult to assess the conditions,' he said, adding that Víkingur AK is now fishing off the north coast and has 200 tonnes of capelin on board. The indications are for a migration of capelin southwards along the east coast. HB Grandi's other pelagic vessel Faxi RE is on the same grounds as Ingunn, while Lundey NS is alongside in Vopnafjördur.