The 10 largest vessels hold 71.6% of Danish sandeel fishing rights in the North Sea in 2026, according to new figures published by the Swedish fisheries news site Njord.
Swedish-owned vessels control 47.3% of the Danish sandeel rights. The fishery is limited to Zone 1 on Dogger Bank. No active fishery appears to have started in 2026 yet.
Biggest quota holders
HG 365 Junior and E 349 Cattleya each hold 8,173 tonnes, equal to 10% of the total Danish sandeel rights in Zone 1. HG 333 Isafold ranks third with 6,402 tonnes.
Other major holders include L 106 Monsun, L 25 Aslan and S 205 Ceton. The rights are spread across many Danish and Swedish-linked fishing companies.
Fishmeal industry focus
The report states that sandeel is caught only for the fishmeal industry.
For sperling, also known as blue whiting pout or Norway pout, the 10 largest vessels control 79.4% of fishing rights. Swedish-owned vessels hold 58.6%. No registered sperling fishery has been reported during 2025-2026.
Industry structure
L 106 Monsun holds the largest sperling share at 16.8%, followed by S 205 Ceton with 13.8%. HG 165 South Ocean ranks third with 9.4%.
The article says sperling catches vary widely from year to year and depend largely on the availability of sprat and sandeel quotas.
Source: Svenssons Nyheter – Njord