The Icelandic Institute of Marine Research proposes that the cod catch limit for the next fishing year be reduced by just over 4%, or from 213,214 tonnes to 203,822 tonnes.
This was among the things that were said at a briefing at Hafró yesterday, which was held as part of the agency’s advice on maximum catches for the next fishing year. It was also stated that the stock size is expected to decline over the next two to three years.
The agency also proposes a 27% increase in the catch limit for summer spawning herring and a 3% increase in the catch limit for haddock. It is also proposed to reduce the catch limit for saithe by 11% and for golden redfish by 12%. The agency adheres to the recommendation that no fishing be conducted for deep-sea redfish as the agency assesses the spawning stock to be below precautionary limits. The agency’s advice for Greenland halibut is based on an increase of about 17%.
Significant contraction
The Icelandic Fisheries Industry Association (SFS) has responded to Hafró’s advice, but the association estimates that based on a 4% decrease between fishing years, the national economy will lose 6-7 billion ISK in export revenue. The statement also states that the recommended total cod catch has not been lower since the 2012/2013 fishing year. The association also points out that the cod catch in the 2019/2020 fishing year was 272,411 tons, or 25% higher than currently proposed. It is clear that the decline has been considerable and the situation looks set to continue, given Hafró’s statement that the stock size will decline in the coming years.
Despite SFS’ disappointment with various aspects of the advisory, they reiterate in their statement that it is necessary to follow the advice of scientists. International certifications are based on sustainable fishing practices and are based on scientific advice. Such certifications enable Icelandic companies to sell their products worldwide.
Look at the rally critically
Arthur Bogason, chairman of the Icelandic Small Boat Owners’ Association, says that nothing in Hafró’s announcement has come as a particular surprise. He says that he is critical of the Marine Research Institute’s methods, but he believes that the trawler count is not sufficient to measure the size of fish stocks. “We have been calling for decades for more to be included in fisheries advice than quantity,” Arthur says in an interview with Morgunblaðið. “At the same time that Hafró has been cutting back, the daily catch has increased for these boats that use the smallest fishing gear and are spread around the country. There is every reason to look at the context of this more closely.”
Then Arthur says that the association has long requested that Hafró provide special fishing gear advice. “So I think that now it must be starting to slip two masks on various people who have opposed this when more and more information is coming to light that it is possible to be more careful with the resource than with huge trawls.”
