Photo: Norges Sildesalgslag/Åge Røttingen

Norway Pelagic Fishing Update Week 24

NORWAY
Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 01:00 (GMT + 9)

North Sea Herring Fishery Booms as Mackerel Remains Elusive in the North

Bergen – The North Sea herring fishery experienced a stellar week, with an impressive 22,100 tonnes reported, while the much-anticipated mackerel catch in the northern waters has yet to materialize.

Herring Haul Exceeds Expectations

The past week saw a remarkable surge in North Sea herring, with 59 vessels contributing to the substantial 22,100-tonne catch. Peak fishing days were Tuesday and Thursday, yielding 5,200 and 4,700 tonnes respectively. Individual catches for consumption ranged from a modest 40 tonnes to a significant 445 tonnes. Of the total, 8,600 tonnes were designated for meal and oil production, with the largest single catch for this purpose exceeding 1,100 tonnes.

Herring fishing operations spanned a wide area, from the Koralbanken south of Egersund, northward to the eastern side of Patchbanken, and as far north as the fields east of the Oseberg and Veslefrikk oil platforms. This expansive fishing ground covers a distance of over 180 nautical miles from its southernmost to northernmost points.

British waters also contributed to the week's success, with five vessels reporting 1,160 tonnes of herring caught approximately 20 nautical miles east of Shetland. The herring from this region typically weighed around 160 grams, an ideal size for matjes production.

Within the Norwegian zone, herring sizes varied considerably, with the largest specimens generally found further north. For consumption-bound catches, average sizes ranged from 111 grams to a high of 212 grams, with a weighted average of 169 grams.

Foto: Vikingbank/ Anders Klovning/Norges Sildesalgslag

The strong weekly catches are significantly impacting the overall quota. Several vessels in both the coastal and purse-seine fleets have already met their individual quotas. To date, over 46,400 tonnes of the total 126,263-tonne quota (including flex) have been fished.

Comparing this year's June figures to last year's, 34,300 tonnes of herring have been caught in the first half of this month, compared to 37,200 tonnes for the entire month of June last year. This positive trend suggests improved sea temperatures and a more abundant food supply in the North Sea, which is concentrating the herring stocks.

Good participation in the herring fishery is expected to continue. However, a low-pressure system moving in from the west, bringing increased winds to the North Sea, could potentially hinder fishing efforts in the coming week.

Mackerel Slow to Arrive in Northern Waters

Mackerel catches for the week remained consistent with the previous two weeks, totaling 164 tonnes. The majority of these catches were reported in the Rogaland and Vestland areas, with the fish being sold for both fresh packing and freezing. Sizes varied from 350 to 500 grams.

In the northern regions, several vessels have reached the fishing grounds in the outer parts of Vestfjorden and Vesterålen. However, there have been no reports of significant mackerel concentrations there yet. Unfavorable weather conditions in the north have also hampered the mackerel's schooling, leading most boats to remain docked over the weekend. In recent years, the mackerel fishery in the north typically commences around June 10th.

Blue Whiting and Other Catches

Last week, six vessels caught 2,500 tonnes of blue whiting in the southern parts of "The Edge." In addition to blue whiting, these vessels also reported catches of 270 tonnes of sprat and smaller quantities of horse mackerel and sprat.

Author/Source: Kenneth Garvik/Norges Sildesalgslag

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www.seafood.media

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