Lottery held for mackerel fishing opportunities in Norwegian waters

Over 20 applications have been submitted for the opportunity to fish mackerel in Norwegian waters, but only 12 vessels will be allowed to fish simultaneously. As a result, a lottery will be held among the applicants.

Many ships have announced they will not enter Norwegian waters until September, according to Vorn. Initially, the first twelve selected vessels will be permitted to fish for mackerel.

Vessels must begin fishing within 24 hours of receiving their notification, as per fishing regulations. Failure to do so will result in the loss of the allocation, allowing the next ship on the list to proceed. Each allocation permits only one trip at a time.

Vessels targeting mackerel in Norwegian waters are not allowed to fish elsewhere during the same trip. The Faroe Islands have a quota of 35,191 tons, which is 40 percent of their total mackerel quota this year for fishing in Norwegian waters.

South of a specified latitude, only nets may be used, not trawls. According to the agreement with Norway regarding mackerel, all fish caught by Faroese vessels in Norwegian waters must be sold through or with the approval of Norges Sildesalgslag. No such requirements exist for fishing in UK waters.

Norwegian vessels started fishing for mackerel three weeks earlier this year compared to last year, and their catch has been promising, with mackerel weighing between 420 to 470 grams. Fishermen receive 9.92 kr. per kilogram of fresh mackerel. Two Faroese vessels, Norðborg and Fagraberg, are currently fishing mackerel in Faroese waters, while Hoyvík and Ran are targeting blue whiting, with Hoyvík processing all the catch.