Blue Whiting Dominates Landings as Winter Herring Season Nears Its End

Strong weekly catches push Norway past halfway mark in blue whiting quota, while NVG herring activity slows ahead of autumn migration.

Blue Whiting (Kolmule)

A total of 36,565 tonnes of blue whiting was reported to the Sildelaget over the past week, making it the dominant species in current landings.

Of this volume:

• 8 vessels reported 9,315 tonnes for human consumption

• 17 vessels reported 27,250 tonnes destined for fishmeal and fish oil production

Most of the catches were taken in the international zone, though six landings originated from the EU zone.

Norwegian fishers have now harvested more than half of their national blue whiting quota for the year. So far, 133,228 tonnes have been reported against Norway’s 2026 quota of 238,736 tonnes, leaving 105,508 tonnes still available for the remainder of the year.

Norwegian Spring-Spawning Herring (NVG Herring)

Activity in the NVG herring fishery is tapering off as the winter season draws to a close.

This week, 2 Norwegian and 3 British vessels reported catches. The Shetland-based vessel “Adenia” reported landings twice during the week.

In total, 6,118 tonnes of NVG herring were registered, with average fish weights ranging between 260 grams and 295 grams.

To date, 154,486 tonnes have been harvested from the total Norwegian quota of 342,666 tonnes.

Industry expectations suggest that most Norwegian vessels will now pause operations and wait for the autumn migration north of Kvænangen. As a result, limited activity is anticipated in this fishery in the coming months.

Horse Mackerel (Hestmakrell)

A modest 27 tonnes of horse mackerel were reported this week from 3 vessels.

• Two catches were made in Rogaland

• One catch was taken near Florø

Baltic Sprat (Østersjøbrisling)

The Swedish vessel “Astrid Marie” reported a catch of 1,360 tonnes of Baltic sprat on Sunday evening.

The vessel is now making the full journey from the Baltic Sea to Egersund to land its catch.

With blue whiting continuing to dominate landings and NVG herring activity slowing significantly, attention in the Norwegian pelagic fleet is increasingly shifting toward the next seasonal migration later in the year.

Author/Source: Sigurd Vedøy/Norges Sildesalgslag