Norway landed 44,500 tonnes of Norwegian spring-spawning herring (NVG herring) in northern waters last week, marking a powerful start to January fishing.
The catch was reported by 87 vessels, with the highest single-day total on Saturday, when 11,100 tonnes were logged, according to Norges Sildesalgslag.
Most of the volume came from the coastal fleet, which landed 22,900 tonnes. Purse seiners followed with 19,500 tonnes, while two trawlers delivered 1,900 tonnes.
Smaller coastal vessels using carrier boats have now ended their winter season in the north after moving 7,700 tonnes to buyers along the coast.
Fleet shifts after herring spreads deep
Fishing first focused on Kvænangen, where herring have been present since October. Before the weekend, the shoals spread out and stayed deep throughout the day. This made purse seining hard. As a result, much of the fleet moved north to areas off the Alta coast.
There, conditions improved. Herring rose closer to the surface at dawn, and several hauls exceeded 2,000 tonnes. Sizes varied, with average weights from 200 to 319 grams. The weighted weekly average was 272 grams.
Smaller catches further south
Further south, coastal vessels landed 900 tonnes in Lofoten, Helgeland, Hitra and Møre. Fish size ranged from 220 to 390 grams.
Fishers now expect the herring to begin its spawning migration south, which could improve availability for purse seiners later in January.
Foreign mackerel and Baltic sprat
Foreign vessels also delivered 2,600 tonnes of mackerel to Norway, caught west of Shetland with midwater trawl. Average size was about 450 grams, and buyers reported good quality. Volumes are expected to fall this winter due to lower quotas and Scottish landing rules.
In addition, Swedish and Danish vessels landed 3,300 tonnes of sprat from the Baltic Sea for fishmeal and oil production in Egersund.