Minister of fisheries Svandís Svavarsdóttir has signed off legislation, this year making 10,000 tonnes of cod available for small-scale vessels operating within the coastal fishery regime.
This places roughly 5% of the total TAC in the hands of the coastal fishery. This is a similar proportion as in 2022, which was the first year that such a large volume was allocated to this sector.
This is the fifteenth summer coastal fishery since the introduction of this fleet sector. The intention is that this is a route to providing opportunities to enter the industry for those who do not have regular quotas at their disposal.
A bill currently before parliament which is expected to result in changes to the area divisions that apply to the coastal fishery. If the bill becomes law, the Ministry expects that changes will have to be made to this year’s regulations to reflect changes in legislation.
The coastal fishery season opens on 2nd May and runs through to August.
