ICELANDIC CATCH IN JUNE WAS 35 THOUSAND TONNES

Icelandic catch in June was 35 thousand tonnes. The catch of Icelandic vessels in June 2023 was about 35 thousand tonnes, 1% less than in June 2022. Demersal catch was 30 thousand tonnes and pelagic catch was only 2,000 tonnes.

In the 12 month period from July 2022 to June 2023 the overall catch was 1,346 thousand tonnes which is 10% less than in the same period one year earlier.

Information about catch of fish which are published in this press release are preliminary figures. The data is gathered by the Directorate of Fisheries.

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The fishing industry is one of the key industries in Iceland, contributing up to 18% of Iceland’s GDP. The seafood industry directly employs around 7,500 people, or approx. 3.9% of the total workforce. In 2016, the export production of marine products amounted to ISK 232 billion (€ 1.7 billion), a total of 580 thousand tonnes. Iceland has one of the most modern and productive fishing industries in the world. However, the small-scale fleet is shrinking, and some fear traditional fishing methods may die out altogether.

Iceland is in the 20th place among leading fishing nations in the world, with 1.1% of the total world’s catch (2014). Europe is the largest market for Icelandic seafood products, with approx. 70-80% share in recent years. Cod is the most valuable fish stock, accounting for approximately 43% of total seafood industry exports. UK is the single most important market for Icelandic seafood products for a very long time. There are 1,647 fishing ships in Iceland (2016), of which 747 are machine ships and 43 trawlers.

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