Icelandic trawlers and longliners moved quickly back to sea at the start of the new year, with several vessels already fishing well and landing full catches within days.
The fleet left port in early January, continuing vigorous activity seen between Christmas and New Year.
Early sailings from east and west
The fresh fish trawler Gullver NS sailed from Seyðisfjörður on Friday, 2 January. The freezer trawler Blængur NK left Neskaupstaður the same day. Both are part of the Síldarvinnslan group.
At the same time, the Vestmannaeyjar trawlers Vestmannaey VE and Bergey VE sailed during the night before Friday. They are fishing south of Iceland and are expected to land today or tomorrow. Both vessels also fished between 27 and 30 December and landed full catches before the year ended.
Intense activity in southern Iceland
The fresh fish trawler Jóhanna Gísladóttir GK sailed from Grindavík on 2 January and is now fishing on the Strandagrunn grounds. The longliner Páll Jónsson GK is landing around 30 tonnes in Grindavík today, caught in two sets off Reykjanes.
Another longliner, Sighvatur GK, is fishing off Hornafjörður. The small hook-and-line vessel Fjölnir GK has been operating from Grindavík in recent days, with daily catches usually around 7–8 tonnes.
The pelagic fleet is still waiting
Síldarvinnslan’s pelagic vessels remain in port in Neskaupstaður. Barði NK is expected to begin capelin searching in mid-January. The other vessels are waiting for agreements on blue whiting fishing in Faroese waters.