Improving hauls and remaining quota fuel optimism despite harsh weather in the Faroe zone.

Blue whiting

The blue whiting fleet has resumed operations following the Easter break, with vessels returning to the Faroe zone, where Norwegian boats are fishing alongside fleets from Iceland, Russia, and the Faroe Islands.

Crew members aboard the vessel "Rogne" report a promising start. The vessel, newly delivered and described as “just unpacked from plastic,” arrived in Herøy on March 13 after being built in Skagen at Karstensen Skibsværft.

At 83 meters long and 16.5 meters wide, Rogne is a modern combined purse seiner and trawler now on its first blue whiting trip with new trawl gear. While early operations require fine-tuning, the crew says they are very satisfied with both the vessel and its equipment.

The operation is led by the experienced Rogne brothers, who have fished blue whiting since 1984, operating vessels under the same name since 1996.

Fishing results have been uneven so far. Most vessels are reporting around 300 tons per haul during 10–12 hour trawling sessions, though improvements are being observed. By Sunday, catches had increased to as much as 600 tons per haul, signaling better fish availability.

The vessel "Eros" was the first Norwegian boat back on the grounds after Easter, reporting a strong catch of 1,900 tons on Sunday evening.

There are currently 12 Norwegian vessels active in the fishery. However, weather conditions remain a major challenge, with rough seas affecting operations last week and more adverse weather expected.

Despite this, the outlook remains positive. Of Norway’s total blue whiting quota of 230,712 tons, 52,035 tons remain to be caught, and more landing reports are expected in the coming days.

Horse Mackerel

Horse Mackerel Season Sees Modest but Steady Activity

Limited catches reported as a small number of vessels resume operations after Easter.

The horse mackerel fishery has also resumed following Easter, though activity remains relatively modest compared to blue whiting.

The vessel "Kavholm" marked both the final report before Easter and the first after the holiday. It landed 15 tons of horse mackerel, with an average fish weight of 500 grams, caught in Tysvær, Rogaland.

So far this week, a total of 24 tons has been reported across three vessels, indicating steady but limited fishing activity in this segment.

Author / Source: Sigurd Vedøy / Norges Sildesalgslag