The last day of the summer’s coastal fishing season was yesterday. A total of 760 fishing boats obtained a license for coastal fishing, the highest number since coastal fishing began in 2009. That year 554 boats went fishing, 741 in 2010 and 685 in 2011.
Fishing boats in Höfn. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
This year, the boats shared a quota of 8,600 tons of cod equivalents, mbl.is reports.
According to Morgunblaðið, the total value of the catch was almost ISK 2.7 billion (USD 23 million, EUR 18 million). The most successful boats caught more than 30 tons of fish, worth approximately ISK 10 million (USD 84,000, EUR 67,000).
The most successful boat was Lundey ÞH, catching 35.4 tons of fish in 40 fishing trips.
Most boats went fishing in the western territory from Arnarstapi to Súðavík where they could only head out approximately 20 times in a period of four months because the catch is limited to a certain maximum each month.
Örn Pálsson, managing director of the National Association of Small Fishing Vessel Owners, declared the season a success, saying coastal fishing has come to stay. He would like the maximum catch limit to be abolished.
There is an example of four generations of fishermen having gone fishing together this summer. Unnsteinn Þráinsson practiced coastal fishing with his son, father, grandfather and grandmother off Höfn and Djúpavík, Southeast Iceland, this summer.
Unnsteinn is now busy with mackerel fishing.
Click here to read more about mackerel in Iceland.
ESA
