Síldarvinnslan’s groundfish trawlers have done well this autumn. Gullver has fished mainly on its usual home fishing grounds, while Vestmannaey and Bergey have been working off the east coast, landing either in the Westman Islands or at east coast ports, which have seen more landings than has been usual.
Gullver completed seven trips during September to land a total of 494 tonnes, and landed 752 tonnes over seven trips in October. Gullver has fished from Seyðisfjörður since 1983, and this month was the veteran trawler’s best ever.
‘Fishing has been as good as it gets recently and each of our trips has been two and a half to three and a half days. We’ve been on out traditional grounds,’ said Gullver’s skipper Thorhallur Jónsson.
‘Catches have been mixed, but mainly cod and saithe, and seeing the number of trawlers fishing off the east coast is something new for us. Normally we’ve been on our own on the usual fishing grounds, but now there are trawlers everywhere. There hasn’t been so much fish off the west, so they’re coming here. We’re very satisfied with the fishing and hope it stays this way for a while, although it seems to have been slowing down recently.’
Bergey landed 410 tonnes in six trips September and 450 tonnes eight trips in October, while Vestmannaey landed 360 tonnes in six trips in September and 395 tonnes in October in seven trips.
‘We’re used to working off the east coast at this time of year and fishing has been very good this autumn,’ said Bergey’s skipper Jón Valgeirsson.
‘We concentrate a lot on haddock and it’s true that it has often been easier to catch it than it has been this autumn. On the other hand, there’s enough cod and saithe, and the fish has been very good. We land either in the east of in the Westman Islands. When we land in the Islands, we start a new trip there but at this time of year there’s only saithe and redfish to be had there. Then we head eastwards and pick up more of other species. There has been a lot of activity off the east coast this autumn and a lot of attention on those fishing grounds.’
