Westfjords fishing company HG is taking its fresher trawler Stefnir ÍS-28 out of service, due to two successive years of quota reductions making it impossible to keep it in operation.
According to the Ísafjörður-based company Hraðfrystihús Gunnvör, quotas for cod have been cut by 23% over the past two years, reducing the amount available to the company by 1200 tonnes.
In addition, a substantial reduction in the quota for golden redfish also has a far-reaching effect on the basis for Stefnir’s operation.
The company states that while Stefnir is being withdrawn from operation, this strengthens the operating basis for the company’s other vessels.
Stefnir’s crew have been given notice, effective at the end of this year, and the company has pledged to redeploy as many as possible of the 13 regular crew on other vessels within the company.
Stefnir was built in Flekkefjord in 1976 and was originally Gyllir ÍS-260, with its home port in Flateyri. It came to Ísafjörður in 1993 and has been operated successfully there for almost 30 years.
