Iceland’s winter season for capelin has been given the go-ahead with a quota of just under 200,000 tonnes, following a broad survey conducted earlier this month.
The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute has recommended a quota of 197,474 tonnes for the 2025-26 capelin season.
‘This is extremely good news, as the last two capelin seasons have been poor. There was a zero TAC advised in 2024 and last year it was 8000 tonnes. We expect that this season to result in export values of ISK20 billion,’ said Minister of Industries Hanna Katrín Friðriksson.
‘This is good news just not for the national economy but for the communities where capelin is processed. We also shouldn’t forget how imporant this is for the marine environment, as capelin are an impoertant component of feed for other large commercial stocks such as cod and other demersal species.’
Under agreements with neigbouring coastal states, 81% of the TAC goes to Iceland, 18% to Greenland and 1% to Norway. A 5% share of the capelin fishery is allocated to the Faroe Islands under a bilateral agreement, and this amount is drawn from Iceland’s share.
This gives the Icelandic fleet 150,860 tonnes of capelin this year.
The recent survey conducted by five vessels took place under favourable conditions, unaffected by either weather or sea ice. The survey results indicated capelin dispersed over a wide area, with the highest densities off Húnaflói and off the east coast.
