According to preliminary figures from the Directorate of Fisheries, the catch of coastal fishing boats in Iceland last summer was about 12,500 tons, and the value of the catch just over 5 billion ISK. Nearly 94% of the coastal fish catch was cod, with the remainder being mostly saithe.
In the first seven months of the year, the total catch was 565,000 tons, which is 36% less than during the same period in 2023. The demersal fish catch increased by 7% to just over 250,000 tons while the pelagic fish catch decreased by 53% compared with the previous year, as no capelin has been caught this year.
The catch value for the year to date is just under 95 billion ISK, which represents a 20% decrease compared with 2023. The largest decline is due to a 61% value drop in the pelagic fish catch. The value of the demersal fish catch was just under 74 billion ISK, compared with 76 billion ISK in 2023, marking a 3% decrease.