All three of HB Grandi’s pelagic vessels are now fishing on blue whiting deep west of Ireland. Ingunn AK arrived on fishing grounds last Thursday and Lundey NS was there a day later. Faxi RE sailed on Sunday and arrived on fishing grounds around midday today.
According to Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson, head of HB Grandi’s pelagic division, stormy weather and heavy seas have made things difficult for Ingunn and Lundey, but catches have been good in between spells of bad weather.
‘They are now fishing around 55°N and 17°W, which is 220 to 240 nautical miles west of Ireland. There are already other Icelandic vessels fishing there, as well as some Russians. There is fishing round the clock – or rather, there is fishing at any time of the day or night when the weather eases off enough to shoot the gear,’ Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson said.
Yesterday morning Ingunn had 550 tonnes on board, taken in two hauls and Lundey had taken a single 350 tonne haul.
