Image: Harald Mikael Halvorsen / Norges Sildesalgslag

The Norwegian Pelagic Fishing Course in Week 22

NORWAY
Monday, June 05, 2023, 17:50 (GMT + 9)

Nordwind inhibits herring fishing, better on coal mullet and coastal mackerel and replaces slow sandfish fishing. 

North Sea herring:

There is still no buzz about herring fishing in the North Sea, where we have 6,900 tonnes in the record. Sea temperatures are still low, and northerly winds have been blowing most days of the week. The herring are spread out so that the trawl is the most suitable tool. This is made clear by the fact that nearly 75% of the quantity is fished with trawls.

Of the week's quantity, purse seines have contributed 5,200 t and the boats in coastal and SUK (snurpers without a licence) group have fished the remaining 1,700 t.

Herring fishing has taken place from Patchbanken in the south, and further north where the northernmost catch has been taken at Vikingbanken. As usual, the average size of the herring is highest in the north. The average weight of the catches sold for consumption varies from 128 g as the lowest to 180 g as the highest.

From the buyers who receive the herring, there are still reports of a lower fat content than normal at this time. The best fat analyzes show a level of around 15%.

Just under 30 boats have been active in herring fishing this week, and several boats have gotten ready to set course for the herring field. The north wind must lie, and when the sun and heat come in the North Sea, there should be some speed in this herring fishing..

Sandeel:

Another week of poor sandeel fishing where only 1,300 tonnes have been caught. This is from nine different boats with catches from a modest 25 t to 470 t. 

Only 15,100 t of the quota of 60,000 t have now been fished. Fishing is open for a good two more weeks and most fishermen are pessimistic that there will be any improvement in this fishing. On Sunday evening, there are only a handful of boats left in the field, and several have switched to fishing for "Kanten" or North Sea herring.

Blue whiting:

The quantity of blue whiting for the week increased this week, where 8,800 tonnes were caught. This is because several people have fished on "Kanten", and that we got three Faroese boats with blue whiting from our own zone. The distribution of quantity is 3,400 t from Norwegian boats and 5,400 t from the ferries. 

In addition to blue whiting, 1.00 t of norwegian pout and 210 t of stream herring have been taken from the "Kantabåtene".

Mackerel:

For mackerel on the coast, things have picked up a bit this week. About 90 tonnes of mackerel have been registered from fifteen different boats. The catches have been taken in various municipalities in Rogaland, from Bømlo and Kinn in Vestland county.

Obviously, summer and heat have affected this fishing as we now see that also the large mackerel in the entries. The largest average weight is up to 500 grams. 

For mackerel fishing in the north, the boats have not been out yet as the weather has hampered this. The boats from the north are ready and the "southerners" start sailing this week. Last year, the first catch of mackerel was on 10 June in the north.

Author/Source: Kenneth Garvik / Norges Sildesalgslag (translated from original in norwegian)

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