Iceland’s total fish catch in October reached 88,000 tonnes, an 8% drop compared with the same month last year. New figures from Statistics Iceland show declines across demersal, pelagic and flatfish species.
Demersal and Flatfish Down
Demersal catch decreased by 7%, reaching 37,181 tonnes. Cod showed the sharpest fall within this group, down 11% to 19,579 tonnes. Haddock dropped 8%, while redfish decreased by 7%. Flatfish catch also fell hard, dropping 19% to 1,616 tonnes.
Pelagic catch declined by 8% year-on-year to 49,376 tonnes. Blue whiting saw the most significant change, down 69% to just over 10,000 tonnes.
Herring, however, surged 97% compared with last year, reaching 39,037 tonnes. Mackerel landings remained at zero for October.
Year-to-Date Trend Remains Positive
Despite the October drop, the 12-month period from November 2024 to October 2025 shows a 6% rise in total catch, reaching 1.03 million tonnes.
Pelagic species led this increase, growing 13% year-on-year to nearly 590,000 tonnes. Demersal species were slightly down over the same period, while flatfish fell 13%.