The Síldarvinnslan fresher trawlers Bergur and Vestmannaey each made landings in the Westman Islands earlier today, and the shutdown of the Vísir processing plant due to volcanic activity around Grindavík in the south of Iceland has had a direct effect on their operations.
Bergur landed 65 tonnes, and skipper Jón Valgeirsson said that this was mainly cod and haddock.
‘That’s the allocation we can take, as the Vísir closedown has an impact on how we can fish,’ he said.
Vestmannaey’s catch was around 60 tonnes.
‘We can catch an amount that’s decided in consultation, relating to the situation in Grindavík,’ skipper Birgir Thór Sverrisson said.
‘Most of our catch was haddock. We had a tow off Hornafjörður and after that we were in the Breiðdalsgrunnur and Skrúðsgrunnur grounds. There was a decent catch rate during daylight, but quieter during the night.’
Bergur is ready to be back at sea tomorrow, but Vestmannaey’s sailing date is undecided.
