Capelin processing and frozen roe production began at HB Grandi’s Akranes factory yesterday when Venus docked with 900 tonnes on board. The capelin were caught in three shots off the Snæfellsnes peninsula the day before yesterday. There was no fishing yesterday due to bad weather.
Production of frozen capelin roe has started at HB Grandi’s Vopnafjördur factory, with extraction begun on catch landed by Venus the night before last, with a capelin roe content of around 20%. Further east along the coast, Síldarvinnslan’s factory at Neskaupstaður is also gearing up for roe production now that frozen production for the Japanese market is over.
Síldarvinnslan’s processing factory at Neskaupstaður in eastern Iceland has begun freezing capelin for markets in Asia and Eastern Europe after catch rates increased in the last few days.
With an allocated quota of only 100,000 tonnes for this season, the capelin fishery is expected to be a short one this year for the Icelandic fleet.
The new Nergård Pelagic factory at Måløy in western Norway is almost ready and has been running production tests using capelin caught in Icelandic waters.
Of the 30 Norwegian pelagic vessels in Icelandic waters, only 25 may fish at any one time and those landing in Icelandic ports are required to wait at the quay until their turn comes around again.
Greenland has a share of the capelin quota around Iceland, but part of this goes to the Norwegian fleet.
The first capelin of the season was landed at Neskaupstaður in eastern Iceland at the weekend.
Iceland’s Marine Research Institute has announced that results from its capelin research are now complete.
The search for capelin is in progress in Icelandic waters, with research vessels Árni Friðriksson and Bjarni Sæmundsson heading the search, along with commercial fishing vessels Sigurður, Sighvatur Bjarnason and Jóna Eðvalds.