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ICELAND'S new herring season is about to get under way, but early reports suggest that catches are proving to be elusive.
Plans have been set in motion for HB Grandi’s veteran pelagic vessel Lundey NS to start fishing on herring in the middle of this week, followed by two more trawlers, the Faxi RE and the Ingunn AK, says Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson, head of HB Grandi’s pelagic division.
He said that there have been few reports of herring with only one Icelandic vessel having tried to find herring so far. Last year HB Grandi’s pelagic vessels started on herring on May 24th, so this year’s season has a similar starting date to last year’s.HB Grandi’s pelagic factory in Vopnafjördur has for the last few weeks been in preparation for the herring season. Two new automatic Baader filleting machines have been purchased, along with new conveyors and equipment to handle the herring.
Magnús Róbertsson, factory manager at the Vopnafjördur plant, said that the final preparations are being made now in the production area that has seven filleting machines, of which three are automatic.
‘A lot of work has gone into altering the feed system. We are setting up two graders for herring and two for mackerel, so we are hoping that the changes we have made will make it possible to increase production significantly,’ said Magnús Róbertsson.
Meanwhile, a new state-of-the-art Icelandic-made filleting machine has been fitted on board the company's factory trawler Therney, reflecting this important fishing company's continued investment plans.
The M700 filleting machine, manufactured by Vélfag ehf is made to process roundfish and this type has attracted a lot of attention after several have already been fitted on board freezer trawlers and one has also produced some excellent results at Samherji’s factory in Dalvík.
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