Iceland’s Marine and Freshwater Research Institute has issued a cautious 43,766-tonne recommendation for the the coming 2025-26 capelin season.
The Institute’s recommendations are based on recent surveys carried out by Icelandic research vessel Árni Friðriksson and Greenlandic research vessel Tarajoq during August and September. These figures will be re-examined when further acoustic survey data is available at the beginning of next year.
The total capelin volume is estimated at 1.20 million tonnes, of which maturing capelin constitute 418,000 tonnes. Acoustic data results and the predation model indicate that a 65,650-tonne fishery would result in a 95% probability of a minimum 114,000 tonnes of capelin leftto spawn after fishing.
The juvenile index estimate is 119 billion individuals, the fifth highest on record, indicating the 2024 year class is large, or the same order of magnitude as the 2019 year, which contributed to the large capelin seasons in 2021/22 and 2022/23.
