There are now five Icelandic trawlers fishing for redfish on the Reykjanes Ridge close to the 200 mile limit. Catches have been slow since fishing began again after the Seamen’s Day break.
HB Grandi has three of its trawlers on redfish, Þerney RE, Venus HF and Helga María AK, and according to Birkir Hrannar Hjálmarsson, in charge of the company’s trawler operations, catch rates have been poor.
‘Helga María did well for the first two days back on the fishing grounds after Seamen’s Day with catches of two tonnes per towing hour. The other two trawlers followed later, but by the time they reached the fishing grounds, the fishing had slowed down. Catch rates have been under a tonne per hour and have been as low as half a tonne,’ he said, adding that weather has been difficult for the last few days. The weather improved yesterday, but unfortunately the fishing has not done the same.
