Photo: Eivind Mikal Sævik/Norges Sildesalgslag

The Norwegian Pelagic Fishing Course in Week 12

NORWAY
Tuesday, March 25, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

Lower Blue Whiting Quantities from the West

Blue Whiting:

As expected, we received a lower blue whiting quantity last week. From ten different vessels, we have a total of 14,900 tons. Catch sizes varied from 430 tons as the lowest to 2,700 tons as the largest catch, from the Scottish vessel "Christina S".

Fishing in international waters has decreased significantly in the last week, with only one catch of 720 tons reported from this zone. The remaining quantity was fished north of the "Porcupine" bank in the EU zone. Here, there are reports of good amounts of blue whiting, with the trawl net filling up in a relatively short time.

The blue whiting is now migrating northeast from the areas west of Ireland. It then migrates into British waters and further into the Faroese zone before entering the Norwegian Sea to graze.

Of the total quota of 406,000 tons, over 300,000 tons have now been fished.

Of the sub-quota we have in the EU zone, which is just under 82,000 tons, 74,800 tons have now been fished. Very few vessels have quotas left here, and modest quantities are expected from this area going forward.

For those vessels that have some quota left, most will follow when the blue whiting enters Faroese waters. In the last two years, this has been around April 10th, and several will likely go out again then.

Horse Mackerel/Mackerel:

From four vessels, 44 tons of horse mackerel have been reported. This is large fish, around 500 grams. The vessels have fished in the fjords of Rogaland and Vestland.

For mackerel, we have two catches totaling 15 tons. This was fished in Bjørnafjorden and in Bømlo municipality in Vestland. The average size here is just under 300 grams.

Author/Source: Kenneth Garvik/Norges Sildesalgslag

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