Catch of Icelandic vessels in March 2020 was 93.2 thousand tonnes which is 21% less than in March 2019. The reduction is mainly due to lower catch of pelagic species which consisted mainly of blue whiting, 38.4 thousand tonnes, which is 40% less than in March 2019.
The total catch of demersal species was 53.4 thousand tonnes, 3% more than in March last year. Cod catch was 32.9 thousand tonnes, 3% increase from previous year. Total catch in the 12 month period from April 2019 to March 2020 amounted to 990 thousand tonnes which is 14% less than in the same period one year earlier.
The value index of catch in March 2020 is 6.8% lower than in March 2019.
Information about catch of fish which are published in this press release are preliminary figures. The data is gathered by the Directorate of Fisheries.
| Fish catch | ||||||
| March | April-March | |||||
| 2019 | 2020 | % | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | % | |
| Fish catch at constant prices | ||||||
| Index | 102.3 | 95.3 | -6.8 | |||
| Fish catch in tonnes | ||||||
| Total catch | 118,406 | 93,280 | -21 | 1,148,296 | 990,018 | -14 |
| Demersal catch | 51,991 | 53,402 | 3 | 489,855 | 469,171 | -4 |
| Cod | 31,307 | 32,892 | 5 | 278,986 | 269,362 | -3 |
| Haddock | 6,153 | 5,238 | -15 | 55,312 | 52,241 | -6 |
| Saithe | 5,469 | 6,006 | 10 | 67,006 | 61,854 | -8 |
| Redfish | 5,507 | 5,947 | 8 | 56,538 | 54,172 | -4 |
| Other demersal catch | 3,556 | 3,318 | -7 | 32,013 | 31,543 | -1 |
| Flatfish | 1,593 | 1,330 | -16 | 27,371 | 20,308 | -26 |
| Pelagic catch | 64,433 | 38,387 | -40 | 618,336 | 490,966 | -21 |
| Herring | 0 | 0 | - | 124,075 | 138,084 | 11 |
| Capelin | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - |
| Blue whiting | 64,433 | 38,387 | -40 | 358,658 | 224,796 | -37 |
| Mackerel | 0 | 0 | - | 135,603 | 128,085 | -6 |
| Other pelagic catch | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 1 | - |
| Shellfish | 389 | 161 | -59 | 12,734 | 9,570 | -25 |
| Other species | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 3 | - |