Infection forces Iceland to reduce early herring quota

Published: 16 November, 2009

ICELAND's influential Marine Research Institute has recommended a reduced initial national quota of 40,000 tones for Icelandic herring for the current fishing year following fish infection problems.
According to the Institute, the reason for proposing a lower catch is due to an infection in part of the herring stock which was first encountered 18 months ago. In the previous fishing year (which ended on August 31 of this year the national quota was 150,000 tonnes, somewhat higher than the MRI recommendation of 131,000 tonnes.

The infection problem, however, may not be permanent as the the MRI is expecting to record a spawning stock 465,000 tonnes by next January - almost 100,000 tonnes higher than the figure set in June this year. The hope is that the quota will be increased in the New Year.
One of Iceland's main pelagic fishing companies, HB Grandi, said its vessels had a 4,500-tonne share of the 40,000 tonne recommended quota.

Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson, head of HB Grandi’s pelagic division, said: 'Having some fishing opportunities for the pelagic vessels and production is very welcome at this time of year, both for the company and for our workforce.'

He commented that during the last season, the company fleet landed 18,200 tonnes of summer-spawning herring, roughly four times the present allocated quota. He said that setting the initial quota is a very important step and there are hopes that this will be increased later this winter.
He added that he was extremely satisfied with the progress made on research into the state of the herring stock during the autumn.

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