Icelandic vessels landed nearly 75,000 tonnes of fish in January 2026, down 5% year-on-year, according to official statistics. Demersal landings dropped sharply, while pelagic volumes edged up slightly.

Demersal species decline

Demersal catch fell 11% to about 30,700 tonnes.
Key species all dropped:

  • Haddock −27% to 5,347 tonnes
  • Redfish −22% to 2,750 tonnes
  • Cod −2% to 18,656 tonnes
  • Saithe −10% to 1,896 tonnes

Flatfish also declined steeply, down 27% to 971 tonnes.

Pelagic catch stable

Pelagic landings rose 1% to roughly 43,145 tonnes.

  • Herring +2% to 7,910 tonnes
  • Blue whiting −1% to 34,329 tonnes
  • Capelin 906 tonnes (none last year)

Shellfish landings increased 72% but remained small at 128 tonnes.

Year total is still higher

Despite a weak month, the rolling 12-month catch reached 1.03 million tonnes, up 4% from the previous period.

Pelagic species drove the increase, up 11% year-on-year, while demersal catch slipped 2% and flatfish fell 17%.

Source