Samherji’s trawler Björgvin EA-311 has been fishing well on saithe off the south of Iceland recently, and while skipper Oddur Brynjólfsson said it’s great to see heavy fishing, ensuring the best quality for processing ashore is vital and that calls for a good, experienced crew.
Björgvin landed its catch in Hafnarfjörður after fishing around the Eldey Bank, and the catch was trucked to Dalvík and Akureyri for processing.
‘We had 125 tonnes and that was for three and half days at sea, so two and a half days’ fishing time,’ Oddur Brynjólfsson said.
‘The bulk of the catch was taken in just 24 hours, and around 70 tonnes was saithe.’
He commented that there has been a fleet of trawlers fishing for saithe on a relatively limited area.
‘They’re towing in all directions, so you have to be on your toes. There’s an excitement to fishing for saithe and it also demands patience. Sometimes you can tow for hours and there’s practically nothing in the trawl, but when you hit a good mark, it’s as well for the crew to be ready for a spell on deck. The largest haul of the trip was 19 tonnes and we try not to have too much at a time so that we can maximise quality, and that’s naturally the aim. It’s not easy to see on the sounder what species we’re looking at, and you find that out when the gear is on the deck.’
He commented that a co-ordinated crew is vital, and that’s the case on board.
‘Björgvin is also a good ship and although it’s showing its age, it has been extremely well maintained over the years,’ he said.
‘This last winter was an exceptionally difficult one in terms of weather, but the calendar tells us we can hope to see an improvement
