Brexit created a full mackerel row with the British. It became a race to pull up the fish before it swam into the British zone. But in June, an agreement was signed. – I am very happy that Norway and Great Britain have agreed, said Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bjørnar Skjæran. The agreement ensured that Norway can fish 135,141 tonnes of mackerel in the British zone. The mackerel normally stays along the Norwegian coast, but this year it has been difficult for the fishermen to find it. Photo: Institute of Marine Research Due to a fantastic summer in northern Norway, this agreement has become very important. It has been a “black sea” in the Norwegian zone this year. But when the crew on board the ring seine boat “M Ytterstad” took the trip into the British zone, things quickly changed. – The agreement is very important, says skipper Morten Holst to news. Fiskeribladet mentioned the case first. HUNTING: Modern equipment helps fishermen in their hunt for mackerel. Which this year has been difficult to find in the Norwegian zone. Photo: Ytterstad Fiskeriselskap AS Important to try in Norwegian waters The skipper has been fishing since the mid-80s. He tells news that the vessel, which has two crew, has been in Norwegian waters since the end of August. The quota is just over 3,000 tonnes of mackerel, but so far this year they had only fished 600 tonnes. – I think the mackerel may not have realized that it is autumn yet. As a result, we don’t find it in the traditional places, says Holst. – It has not been a problem in the past, but this year we have had a very nice summer in the north. Jan Eirik Johnsen of Norway’s Seafood Council says that the fleet has been fishing for about six weeks. Most people have struggled to find the mackerel. Nevertheless, many of the fishermen have waited a long time before they have moved into the British zone. – Why? – It is important for the Norwegian fleet to capture as much as possible in the Norwegian zone. It is about quota and access to the zone in the years to come. The agreement only applies for one year. If the Norwegian fishermen fish a lot in the Norwegian zone, it gives them a better chance when a new agreement has to be negotiated. – The fleet has put in Norwegian zones almost without getting anything. Then they started fishing in the British zone and got a lot more, says Jan Eirik Johnsen. Photo: Marius Fiskum / Norges Sjømatråd Million catch in two casts Slowly but surely the fishermen have started to move into the British zone. After all, 60 percent of the quota can be fished there. If the fish cannot be found in the Norwegian zone, there is little choice. For skipper Holst and the rest of the crew on board “M Ytterstad”, it at least produced results. They caught 1,050 tonnes of mackerel in two casts. M Ytterstad pulled up two cracking nuts in a short time. Photo: Ytterstad Fiskeriselskap AS – It doesn’t happen very often. I was sweating, but not because we had big throws. We are well drilled in that and it is going well, says Holst and adds: – The reason why you sweat is because you understand what values are involved. Johnsen of Norway’s Seafood Council can state that the average price of mackerel so far this year has been NOK 16 and 8 øre per kilo. – If we look at what is delivered for consumption, the average price was NOK 17 and 22 øre. Today it is probably higher than that, I think so. This means, with a price of NOK 17 per kilo, that Holst & co. hauled up mackerel for NOK 17.8 million in two casts. Do you like mackerel? Yes No Yes, but only in tomatoes Show result At the same time last year, the price was just over NOK 13. The price increase is due to several factors, says Johnsen. – There is good demand in the market. Great demand in the Asian markets. We also have a not insignificant currency effect. Mackerel is popular in Asia. Two years ago, a lot of press turned up when the first Norwegian fresh mackerel arrived in Japan. Photo: Johan Kvalheim / Norway’s Seafood Council A lot of things that can go wrong For the fishermen on board “M Ytterstad”, the large catch means that they are well over halfway with this year’s quota. But even though it may seem easy to raise the millions – there is a lot that can go wrong. – There are many x’s in the equation before that fish is delivered and paid for. It’s clear that you get stressed when you realize that there are tremendous values involved, says Holst. – An awful lot can go wrong. The note may splinter or crack. Hydraulics must work. And then you are completely dependent on the rest of the boat machinery working, he adds. In addition, it is not guaranteed that they will find the mackerel on their next trip out. Thus, it may well be that fishing lasts well into the autumn. – We will keep going until we are done. Last year there were boats that fished until the end of November. It is not said that we go out and get another thousand tonnes. It may well take us many weeks.
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Agreement with Great Britain ensures catch in unusual year – news Nordland
