RECORD WEEK FOR NORWEGIAN MACKEREL CATCHING

Record week for Norwegian mackerel catching. The Norwegian fishing fleet has had a record mackerel week, catching a total of 63,600 tonnes, which is a historically high quantity of mackerel in one week. The previous record was from last year when we had 60,900 at the end of August. There have been good catch rates every day with last Friday being the best day with a total of 15,600 t.
It is the ring net group that has contributed the most with a total of 49,700 t, from the coast 8,100 t, SUK 4,300 t and from trawls 1,500 t.

There has been a strong effort in mackerel fishing from both small and large, with a total of 174 boats registered. In addition, there are boats fishing for mackerel that do not report catches.

It is in the Norwegian Sea that the main quantity is fished, with a huge 59,400 t. Here, mackerel has followed the same pattern as back in 2019 and previous years. At the start of the week, the boats were in the area around N 64⁰ and E 01⁰, 160 n.miles northwest of Stadt. The boats have been following the mackerel southeast and the last catches on Sunday were taken around 80 n.miles west of Stadt. What has been different now than in previous years is that fishing with nets has been best at night. This usually happens later in the autumn in the North Sea.

For the smallest coastal fleet, the good fishing on the coast. In addition, some of the larger coastal boats have fished for mackerel on the Viking Bank. Here, the fishing stopped at the weekend and the boats went into port due to gales.

With such large quantities of mackerel, there is pressure on the receiving capacity on shore, and some have had to wait a while for unloading. Plants from Egersund in the south to Senja in the north have produced mackerel, and most have been on both late and early.

The catches at the weekend had little bait, and the buyers report that the mackerel is now excellent quality, which can serve the best mackerel markets in Asia.

In the coming week, it is expected there will be a lower quantity as more boats are in port with their quotas. This applies to all fleet groups.
Bergen 26.09.2022
Kenneth Garvik

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