Yesterday HB Grandi’s pelagic vessels, along with two other vessels brought in to fish the company’s capelin quota, had taken 51,000 tonnes of capelin so far this season, equivalent to half of the company’s allocated 102,000 tonne quota. According to Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson, head of department at HB Grandi’s pelagic division, an additional quota is also expected to be issued as it seems unlikely that the Greenlandic fleet will be able to catch its full quota.
According to Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson, the fleet is now fishing with shallow purse seine gear just off Jökulsárlón where there has been some strong fishing after the capelin made their way into shallow waters and the weather calmed enough for fishing. The capelin are in large grades, but as there is plenty of feed in the fish, freezing it for export is not an option and nothing has been frozen at the pelagic factory in Vopnafjördur since the middle of last week. Fishing grounds are now around 165 nautical miles from Vopnafjördur and the factory at Akranes, which has been running at full capacity, is 250 nautical miles away.
Poor weather last and early this week has kept the fleet away from the fishing, so the quota has reduced more slowly than it would have otherwise. Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson said that to ensure that the two factories at Vopnafjördur and Akranes can run optimally, Huginn VE and Hoffell SU have been brought into each take a trip on HB Grandi’s capelin quota. Both landed last week, with Huginn delivering 1700 tonnes to Akranes and Hoffell landing 1220 tonnes at Vopnafjördur.
‘Huginn will be fishing another trip for us. They were fishing this morning about two miles off Jökulsárlón and this is fish that will be landed at Akranes. Ingunn AK was expected to be in Vopnafjördur last night with 1700 tonnes. Faxi RE arrived on fishing grounds at noon yesterday, took two shots and then steamed to Akranes with full tanks. Lundey NS and Víkingur AK are on the fishing grounds,’ Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson said.
