Capelin fishery advice unchanged

Survey tracks and distribution of capelin in January 2024 shown as acoustic values. Research vessels: Árni Friðriksson red, Polar Ammassak green, Bjarni Sæmundsson blue and Ásgrímur Halldórsson pink.

Capelin fishery advice unchanged

The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (MFRI) will not change the previous advice of no capelin fishing this season after last week's measurements. The reason for this is that only low abundance of capelin was observed and there is a strong possibility that capelin is still under the sea ice northwest of Iceland.

These are the main results of surveying on research vessels Bjarna Sæmundsson and Árna Friðriksson together with the fishing vessels Polar Ammassak and Ásgrími Halldórsson in the period 16-23 January. Off the east coast of Iceland, no capelin was observed and only a small amount was measured in the north-eastern part of the area, but these are the areas where the front of the migrating capelin is usually found at this time (Figure 1). The highest density of adult capelin was in the vicinity of the sea ice in the area north of Cape Horn and west of Kolbeinseyjarhryggur. To the west of that area, mostly immature capelin observed. Based on this distribution, it can be assumed that sea ice prevented coverage of the entire distribution area of the capelin stock. The amount of adult capelin measured now was only about a quarter of what was measured last autumn.

For these reasons, MFRI expects to go out again on capelin survey in February with the hope that the capelin has moved away from the ice or that the ice has retreated. Exact dates for the continuation cruise have not been set.