Two Icelandic trawlers landed near-full catches early this week after fishing off different parts of the country. Skippers report that fish caught in eastern waters were full of capelin, indicating capelin’s presence in the area.
Vestmannaey VE landed its catch in Akureyri on Monday. Bergey VE followed on Tuesday, landing in its home port. Both vessels resumed fishing shortly after.
Capelin is found in eastern waters
Vestmannaey VE fished east of Iceland. According to skipper Birgir Þór Sverrisson, the vessel first worked the Glettinganes wreck and later moved to the Brettingsstaðir area.
The fish weighed about 3 kg and were actively feeding. He said the fish were “stuffed with capelin,” showing that capelin are present in the area. Bad weather then forced the vessel to sail to Akureyri to land.
After landing, Vestmannaey VE went into dry dock for a short repair to its rudder. The work was completed quickly, and the vessel returned to fishing on Wednesday afternoon.
Rough trip south of Iceland
Bergey VE fished south of the country. Skipper Jón Valgeirsson described the trip as rough, with strong northerly winds. The vessel started at Litladýpi, where haddock were caught in daylight, but fishing was poor at night.
The crew then moved towards Ingólfshöfði and caught some cod. Further attempts to catch haddock in Meðallandsbugt yielded little result. The trip ended near Pétursey and Vík, where cod were found.
Bergey VE sailed out again on Wednesday evening. Other Icelandic longliners are also reported to be fishing east of the country, with only limited signs of capelin so far.