HB Grandi’s purse seiner/pelagic trawler Ingunn AK has been in port in Reykjavík preparing to start fishing on Icelandic summer spawning herring, and the crew were yesterday taking the ship’s herring seine on board. There has been some uncertainty over this year’s season and whether or not the stock would support a quota this autumn, but the fisheries minister has issued a 15,000 tonne initial quota, of which an 1800 tonne share falls to HB Grandi.
According to Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson of the company’s pelagic division, the decision was taken to send Ingunn to fish Icelandic summer spawning herring as weather conditions are predicted to be difficult off the east coast where the fleet has been fishing for Atlanto-Scandian herring. The forecast for the west coast looks more favourable and there are also significant amounts of Icelandic summer spawning herring to be found in Breidafjördur at the moment.
Ingunn docked in Reykjavík on Monday after its last 1000 tonne landing of Atlanto-Scandian herring had been processed at Vopnafjördur on Saturday. Lundey NS was scheduled to dock at Vopnafjördur yesterday with 500 tonnes and Faxi RE to dock today with a further 750 tonnes. The two vessels have been fishing in the Herring Loophole, ending up 300 nautical miles from Vopnafjördur as the herring have shifted steadily eastwards from the Icelandic zone over the last few days.
According to Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson, the company has 1400 tonnes of its Atlanto-Scandian herring quota left and conditions in the next few days will determine whether or not this will be pursued this year of carried over to next year.
