Síldarvinnslan’s pelagic vessel Barði docked with 1255 tonnes of Icelandic summer-spawning herring caught on the other side of the country.
The catch was landed to the company’s processing plant in Neskaupstaður, but fishing for this particular herring variety takes place off the west of Iceland.
Barði’s skipper Theodór Haraldsson said that this time they had to spend time searching for herring.
‘We were on the outer edge of the Kolluáll gully the whole time and had to search between hauls. We took seven hauls this trip, from 100 tonnes up to 310 tonnes. There was a stiff north-easterly wind while we were fishing, but steamed home to the east through a flat calm.’
He commented that the herring average 290 to 320 grams.
Earlier this week Síldarvinnslan skippers reported having to search for herring. Beitir was the first to reach the western fishing grounds and skipper Ólafur Gunnar Guðnason commented that after searching without mucch success, they were ready to head home when decent fishing in the Kolluáll gully was reported.
‘As well as finding little herring to begin with, it was also smaller than usual, but that changed when fishing got going properly,’ he said. Beitir landed 730 tonnes, and was followed by Börkur with 1670 tonnes.
Skipper Hjörvar Hjálmarsson was satisfied with the trip, and with the fishing picking up after little to be seen to begin with.
‘This was in the same areas where most of the fishing was last year and this is good quality herring. We had eight hauls, from 24 tonnes up to 400. The first few tows were poor and after that it went well. It looks positive now and we’re optimistic,’ he said.
