MFRI advises capelin catches of 8589 tonnes

Figure 1. Vessel tracks during capelin measurements from 8 to 19 February 2025.
Note, you can click on the picture to see it bigger.

A larger quantity of capelin was measured off the northwest coast of Iceland in February than in January, in the research survey of Marine and Freshwater Research Institute. That is the main reason for the updated advice to 8589 tonnes.

The research vessel Árni Friðriksson, together with the pelagic fishing vessels Polar Ammassak and Heimaey, conducted capelin surveys north of Iceland from 8 February (Fig. 1). No mature capelin was seen in the area covered by ​​the two fishing vessels, while around 98.2 thousand tonnes were measured on Árni Friðriksson northwest of Iceland (Fig. 2).

In January, around 180 thousand tonnes were measured east of Iceland, and together with the February survey in the west, the total winter estimate comes to around 278.2 thousand tonnes. For comparison, the size of the fishing stock was estimated at 318 thousand tonnes last autumn. The MFRI advice is based on the agreed management plan where the autumn survey weighs 1/3 against 2/3 of the result of the winter survey, taking into account uncertainty in the assessment and estimated predation.

Figure 2. The survey tracks of three vessels during the capelin measurements from 8 to 19 February 2025 (Árni Friðriksson cyan, Polar Ammassak green, Heimey red) and capelin density according to acoustic measurements.