Icelandic pelagic vessel Beitir NK arrived in Neskaupstaður on Thursday with 645 tonnes of mixed herring caught just north of Litla Grunn in Héraðsflói, around 50 nautical miles from port.
About half of the catch was Norwegian-Icelandic herring and the other half Icelandic summer-spawning herring, according to skipper Tómas Kárason.
Strong Marks in Shallow Waters
The fish were taken in two short hauls of about two hours each. Tómas said there was “a lot of herring to see” in the area, with average weights around 350 grams.
Norwegian-Icelandic fish averaged around 400 grams, while Icelandic summer-spawning fish averaged 300 grams.
Faroese vessels have been waiting outside the area for the herring to move off the coast, but the fish have remained in place.
This has raised questions about whether the Norwegian-Icelandic stock may overwinter off the east coast.
Processing Underway in Neskaupstaður
Processing began soon after landing at Síldarvinnslan’s plant in Neskaupstaður. Factory manager Oddur Einarsson said the herring is of high quality and suitable for fillets, split fillets, and whole-frozen production.
He noted the larger size of the Norwegian-Icelandic fish makes processing faster.