THE ICELANDIC FISHING FLEET

At year-end 2006 the size of the Icelandic fishing fleet was 180,000 gross register tons (grt), having decreased by 2,000 grt in the previous year. A large increase in capacity occurred in the 1970s due to a rapid increase in the number of stern trawlers but in recent years it has been fairly stable at 180 - 190,000 grt.

At year-end 2006 there were 1,692 fishing vessels registered in the Icelandic fishing fleet, but not all of them were engaged in fishing that year. The fishing fleet included 777 undecked vessels, 852 decked vessels and 63 trawlers. Undecked boats and other small boats are most numerous in the Westfjords. The home ports of many of the largest trawlers are in the North East and the capital region, while some of the largest purse seiners have their home port in the Eastfjords and Westman Islands. 

In 2006 about 42% of the total catch value was landed by trawlers, just under 2% by small undecked boats and 56% by other vessels of varying sizes and capacity.

Freezer trawlers and wetfish trawlers
The following table shows some statistics for the trawler fleet. In 2006 the stern-trawler fleet included 23 vessels filleting and freezing on-board and another four vessels whole-freezing the catch on board. 

Wetfish trawlers operate mostly in the demersal fisheries and they use groundfish bottom trawl for fishing.

Freezer trawlers are the largest vessels in the demersal fisheries. They operate in Icelandic waters and in international areas. They use bottom trawl and pelagic or midwater trawl in the demersal fisheries. The catch is processed on board and quick frozen.

Trawlers landed 49% of the groundfish catch and 43% of the  flatfish catch in 2006 (catch weight basis).

Freezer trawler

Purse seiners and trawling ships 
The following table shows some statistics for the purse seiners. They are large ships catching mainly capelin, blue whiting and herring that are seasonal fisheries. There are close to 30 vessels of this type in the Icelandic fleet. Apart from capelin seine and herring seine they also use pelagic trawl.

On basis of catch weight, purse seiners landed about 90% of the pelagic catch in 2006, using either purse seine or pelagic trawl.

Purse seiner

Longliners
The following table shows some statistics for the longliners. They vary in size and some are large ships. 

Longliners operate mostly in the cod, haddock and Greenland halibut fisheries and mainly off the West, Northwest and Southeast coast of Iceland. The smallest of the longliners bring their catch in daily, but the largest freeze their catch on board.

On basis of catch weight, longliners landed 26% of the groundfish catch in 2006.

Longliner

Danish seine boats
The following table shows some statistics for the Danish seine boats. They operate mostly in the flatfish, cod and haddock fisheries and mainly off the South and West coast of Iceland. They use Danish seine but also shrimp trawl.

On the basis of catch weight, Danish seine boats landed about 35% of the flatfish catch but just 6% of the groundfish catch in 2006.

Danish seine boat

Gillnetters
The following table shows some statistics for the gillnet boats. They operate mostly in the cod and saithe fisheries all around Iceland. They use gillnets but also longline, trawl and Danish seine.

On the basis of catch weight, gillnetters landed 6% of the groundfish catch in 2006.

Gillnetter

Small boats
It is customary in Iceland to refer to boats of less than 10 grt capacity as small boats. Their fishing gear may be handline, longline or gillnets and the largest of them therefore belong in the group of the gillnetters and longliners just described. 

Boats less than 10 grt. landed a total of 25,000 tonnes in 2006, which is about 5% of the groundfish catch. Their catch was mostly cod, haddock, saithe and catfish. The boats usually have a crew of 1-3 men and land their catch every day.

A well equipped small boat in the Eastfjords.