Last week was nothing short of stunning for Norway’s fishing fleet. With 130 boats at sea, 27,000 tons of mackerel were landed – the most significant weekly volume this season. Fishermen compared it to a “rock concert” in the Norwegian Sea.
The ring-net fleet carried the heaviest load, hauling in 22,400 tons. Coastal vessels contributed 2,000 tons, while smaller purse seiners added 1,900. The trawl group rounded it out with 700 tons.
Giant Mackerel and Wild Weather
Wednesday was the best day, with nearly 7,000 tons caught in a 24-hour period. But strong northerly winds on Thursday slowed things down. Catch sizes varied wildly, from a mere 800 kilos to the star of the week: “Rødholmen,” which netted 580 tons in just two casts.
Fishing grounds stretched 180–200 nautical miles northwest of Ålesund. The mackerel here were huge, with an average weight of 517 grams, and some topping 570 grams. By contrast, coastal catches from Møre down to Rogaland were smaller, around 340 grams.
Herring and Brisling Add to the Catch
It wasn’t just mackerel. North Sea herring also made a showing, with 4,000 tons reported. Danish and Northern Irish boats dominated, landing 3,800 tons.
The largest single haul came from the vessel “Astrid” with 1,650 tons. Norwegian coastal boats caught smaller amounts, though some reported herring over 300 grams.
Meanwhile, five boats – four foreign and one Norwegian – pulled in 6,700 tons of brisling. The biggest haul came from the Danish vessel “Ceton” with 1,465 tons.
Fishing took place on familiar brisling banks in the Dutch sector of the EU zone. Norwegian boats have now landed 7,200 of their 10,000-ton quota.
Blue Whiting Keeps Rolling
Rounding out the week, two boats reported 1,600 tons of blue whiting caught along “the Edge,” from west of Bømlo to southwest of Egersund.
By late August, Norwegian boats had already taken over a third of their annual mackerel quota of 150,000 tons. With the fish still plentiful, all eyes are on how long the bonanza in the Norwegian Sea will last – and whether more will move closer to shore.