Síldarvinnslan’s two pelagic vessels are heading back to sea after an extended break.
Beitir and Börkur sailed last night after having last landed fish in the middle of May. Back then they had been fishing for blue whiting in Faroese waters and fishing was brought to an end as catch rates dropped with the fish migrating fast.
The lack of a capelin season this year has also disrupted the usual routine for Iceland’s pelagic fleet, which concentrated instead on blue whiting earlier in the year than usual.
The two pelagic vessels have been tied up for the last month as routine maintenance has been carried out on both.
According to Beitir’s skipper Sturla Thórðarson, this time they are heading for the Rose Garden, a fishing area off the east coast of Iceland.
‘We were fishing in the Rose Garden at around the same time last year and the fishing then was fine, from 100 and up to 400 tonnes for a tow,’ he said.
‘Now the blue whiting should be fatter than they were in the spring, making better quality raw material. So we’re going fishing as optimistic as always,’ he said.
