Scientists at Iceland’s Marine and Freshwater Research Institute will later this week deliver recommendations for the current capelin season.
The results of the wide-ranging survey conducted by research vessels Thórunn Thórðardóttir and Árni Friðriksson and commercial pelagic vessels Barði, Heimaey and Polar Ammassak is still in progress, but initial findings show capelin dispersed across a broad sea area, with the highest density observed at the leading edge of the migration, currently off the east coast and off Húnaflói in the north. A large proportion of the capelin off the north and east of Iceland are judged to be mature, and due to spawn with three weeks.
In the next few days the Institute’s staff will examine the outcomes of the survey to estimate the stock size, establish measurement error and loss of the stock through depradation to provide advice to the Ministry. This advice is based with a two-thirds weighting on this latest survey and one-third on the autumn stock assessment.
The Institute’s recommendation will be made public later this week.
