Following a research survey involving four commercial vessels, Iceland’s Marine and Freshwater Research Institute has advised allocating a 22,000 tonne capelin quota for this winter’s season.
Icelandic pelagic vessels Kap, Jóna Eðvaldsdóttir and Ásgrímur Halldórsson, plus Greenlandic pelagic vessel Iivid conducted the survey between 6th and 11th December, with staff from the Institute on board.
Survey conditions were good, except for the north-west region where sea ice limited access to some areas of the Denmark Strait. Mainly juvenile capelin were observed on western grounds while to the east almost exclusively mature capelin were identified. The spawning stock is estimated at 487,400 tonnes.
Advice is based on the premise of a 95% likelihood of a 150,000 tonne spawning stock being in existence by March, taking predation into account.
On this basis, the Institute’s advice to the Ministry of Fisheries is for a 21,800 tonne quota for the 2020/21 season, replacing the previous recommendation which had been for a zero quota.
