Icelandic mackerel fleet leaves for Sildar Smugga amid declining catches

Icelandic mackerel fishing vessels have left the waters of Iceland, as no mackerel is currently being caught within the Icelandic territorial waters. After four weeks of fishing near Iceland, all ships have headed to the Sildar Smugga, located nearly 300 nautical miles northeast of Iceland. Although the fishing there is slow to start, it typically increases as August progresses.

Mackerel fishing began at the end of last month, and all pelagic fishing fleets are now concentrating on this catch. The vessels operated in Icelandic waters until last weekend, but the catch has declined in the region.

Baldur Marteinn Einarsson, managing director of Eskja, reported decent catches throughout most of July, though the last few days have shown a significant drop in numbers. The mackerel fleet is now en route to Sildar Smugga, a journey that takes just over 24 hours.

It is considered very beneficial to catch mackerel within Iceland’s territorial waters, as this strengthens Iceland’s negotiating position in discussions about shared mackerel quotas among coastal states. Additionally, fishing close to home often results in larger fish and reduces the time spent at sea.

As for conditions in the Smugga, Baldur notes that fishing there typically picks up as August progresses, stating, “It has always been this way in the Smugga. A good initial shot usually leads to solid catches.” The fleet currently anticipates that the fishing will improve soon.