The pelagic vessels of the Icelandic company Síldarvinnslan have now finished their capelin fishing season, while large volumes of roe capelin are arriving for processing in Neskaupstaður.
Börkur NK arrived in Neskaupstaður earlier this week with 1,900 tonnes of capelin. Soon after, the Greenlandic vessel Polar Amaroq landed 2,000 tonnes, followed by Beitir NK with 2,200 tonnes. Another Greenlandic vessel, Polar Ammassak, landed about 2,100 tonnes.
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All catches consist of roe capelin, and roe processing is running strongly at the Síldarvinnslan fishmeal and processing plant. The company’s vessels Barði, Beitir and Börkur have now completed fishing for the season.
Strong end to the capelin season
Captain Hjörvar Hjálmarsson of Börkur said the season had been good. According to him, capelin appeared in several waves along its usual migration route. Fish were also widely seen across the grounds, and a western migration added additional fishing opportunities.
During the final trip, vessels were fishing about seven nautical miles south of Malarrif. Many vessels worked the area, and catches were strong from a large shoal that likely moved in from the west.
High roe content in catches
Hjálmarsson said roe from western-migrating capelin has a different colour. It tends to be more orange than roe from other capelin. He added that the current catches contain a high proportion of female fish, ranging from 55% to 70%.
This suggests that large volumes of roe will be produced from the latest landings. After unloading, Börkur will prepare for the upcoming blue whiting fishery.
Good weather and efficient fishing
Captain Tómas Kárason of Beitir also described the season as short but productive. Fishing conditions were good, and the weather was relatively favourable.
He said the latest catch was taken south of Malarrif in five hauls ranging from 100 to 600 tonnes. The fishing grounds were crowded but in good spirits. The high share of roe-bearing fish points to continued strong roe production at the plant.