The total catch of Icelandic vessels in May was 140,873 tonnes, a 4% increase from May 2017. Demersal catch was just over 45 thousand tonnes, a decrease of 12%, where cod amounted to 26 thousand tonnes, 8% less than in May 2017. Pelagic catch was nearly all blue-whiting , of which 90 thousand tonnes where caught, 14% more than in May 2017. Shellfish catch was 1,527 tonnes compared with 1,381 tonnes in May 2017.
In the 12 month period from June 2017 to May 2018 the total catch was just over 1,271 thousand tonnes, an increase of -3% compared with the same period a year earlier.
| Fish catch | ||||||
| May | June - May | |||||
| 2017 | 2018 | % | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | % | |
| Fish catch at constant prices | ||||||
| Index | 110 | 100 | -9 | |||
| Fish catch in tonnes | ||||||
| Total catch | 134,834 | 140,873 | 4 | 1,317,614 | 1,271,672 | -3 |
| Demersal catch | 51,346 | 45,257 | -12 | 500,129 | 475,728 | -5 |
| Cod | 27,924 | 25,759 | -8 | 283,928 | 279,869 | -1 |
| Haddock | 3,612 | 3,388 | -6 | 42,061 | 40,396 | -4 |
| Saithe | 7,132 | 5,725 | -20 | 56,895 | 57,108 | 0 |
| Redfish | 6,657 | 5,294 | -20 | 68,719 | 63,479 | -8 |
| Other demersal catch | 6,022 | 5,091 | -15 | 48,525 | 34,877 | -28 |
| Flatfish | 2,757 | 3,599 | 31 | 25,449 | 25,785 | 1 |
| Pelagic catch | 79,350 | 90,490 | 14 | 778,118 | 758,988 | -2 |
| Herring | 3 | 0 | - | 110,728 | 125,431 | 13 |
| Capelin | 0 | 0 | - | 196,832 | 186,333 | -5 |
| Blue whiting | 79,183 | 90,355 | 14 | 299,342 | 282,235 | -6 |
| Mackerel | 164 | 135 | -18 | 171,210 | 164,988 | -4 |
| Other pelagic catch | 0 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | -93 |
| Shellfish | 1,381 | 1,527 | 11 | 13,832 | 11,136 | -19 |
| 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.