The total catch of Icelandic vessels in March was 157,277 tonnes, a 22% decrease from March 2017. Demersal catch was just over 53 thousand tonnes, a decrease of 6%, where cod amounted to over 31 thousand tonnes, 8% less than in March 2017. Saithe catch was a little over 6 thousand tonnes, and haddock just over 4 thousand tonnes. Pelagic catch was 101 thousand tonnes in March, 29% less than in the previous year. Capelin was the mainstay of the pelcagic catch, nearly 82 thousand tonnes compared with nearly 132 thousand tonnes in March 2017.
In the 12 month period from April 2017 to March 2018 the total catch was 1,232 thousand tonnes, an increase of 15% compared with the same period a year earlier.
| Fish catch | ||||||
| March | April-March | |||||
| 2017 | 2018 | % | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | % | |
| Fish catch at constant prices | ||||||
| Index | 149 | 121 | -19 | |||
| Fish catch in tonnes | ||||||
| Total catch | 201,266 | 157,277 | -22 | 1,069,733 | 1,231,928 | 15 |
| Demersal catch | 56,554 | 53,299 | -6 | 408,826 | 472,649 | 16 |
| Cod | 34,452 | 31,564 | -8 | 237,929 | 276,677 | 16 |
| Haddock | 4,902 | 4,142 | -16 | 34,494 | 40,625 | 18 |
| Saithe | 5,195 | 6,340 | 22 | 43,796 | 57,008 | 30 |
| Redfish | 7,039 | 6,961 | -1 | 55,186 | 64,473 | 17 |
| Other demersal catch | 4,966 | 4,292 | -14 | 37,420 | 33,866 | -9 |
| Flatfish | 1,953 | 2,420 | 24 | 21,329 | 24,112 | 13 |
| Pelagic catch | 141,947 | 100,969 | -29 | 627,866 | 724,926 | 15 |
| Herring | 0 | 0 | - | 110,725 | 125,434 | 13 |
| Capelin | 131,523 | 81,698 | -38 | 196,832 | 186,333 | -5 |
| Blue whiting | 10,424 | 19,271 | 85 | 149,790 | 247,649 | 65 |
| Mackerel | 0 | 0 | - | 170,514 | 165,510 | -3 |
| Other pelagic catch | 0 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | -93 |
| Shellfish | 813 | 589 | -28 | 11,627 | 10,207 | -12 |
| Other species | 0 | 0 | - | 86 | 35 | -60 |
Information about catch of fish in this press release is based on preliminary figures. The data is gathered by the Directorate of Fisheries.