Summary of the case This year’s mackerel fishing has been very good for Norwegian fishermen, with large quantities of mackerel caught. Norway’s Sildesalgslag, which manages the auctions for all mackerel in Norway, reports on a fantastic season. The fishing boat “Fiskebas” has caught mackerel for approximately NOK 40 million. The International Marine Research Council (ICES) believes there is too much fishing, and calls for a 22 percent cut in European mackerel quotas for 2025. The market for Norwegian autumn mackerel is growing, especially in Asia where Japan, South Korea and Vietnam are the main markets. Despite the success this year, there is no guarantee of future success as the fishery is natural and the mackerel’s movements are difficult to predict. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. This year’s mackerel fishing has yielded solid results. In any case, if we are to believe Norway’s Sildesalgslag, which is based in Bergen. They manage the auctions for all mackerel in Norway. At the auctions, fish receptions buy the catch from the fishing boats. – This year’s season has been quite fantastic, if I were to sum it up in a few words, says sales manager Kenneth Garvik at Norway’s Sildesalgslag. Because large quantities of mackerel have been caught this year, and the quota will soon be fished. The fishing boat “Fiskebas” from Florø has had up to 435 tonnes of mackerel on board, they write on their own Facebook page. It has a value of over NOK 8 million. Photo: Fiskebas The fishing started in earnest in August and they are in the final phase of this year’s fishing. Out of a quota of 237,000 tonnes, 242,500 tonnes have been fished, at an average price of NOK 21.46 per kilo. Some boats have already started fishing some of next year’s quota. The combination of the fact that there has been a lot of fishing, and that the price per kilo of mackerel is high, means that fishing is on its way to a record year. – This gives a total value of 5.2 billion, which is a new record for Norwegian mackerel fishermen, says Garvik. The export value of mackerel has also made a solid showing in the third quarter of this year. On Thursday 3 October, Norway’s Seafood Council reported that during this period mackerel was exported for 2.3 billion. This is an increase of 68 percent from the same period last year. Good fishing This year’s numbers are far better than last year, when several boats struggled to catch the mackerel quota. In just one week in September, mackerel was traded for over one billion kroner. The 64 meter long fishing boat “Fiskebas” from Florø has had a good season. – We have fished the quota, plus 10 per cent of next year’s quota, says skipper Geir Magne Madsen. SKIPPER: Geir Magne Madsen at “Fiskebas” will not comment on how much they have fished for. But if you take the average price for the year as a basis, the boat has caught mackerel worth NOK 37 million. Photo: Christine Fagerbakke / Norwegian Institute of Marine Research The quota arrangement is such that the fishermen can take some of next year’s quota into the current year. This is because it can be difficult to plan the catch in advance. Extra quota this year, gives less next year. The skipper calls this year’s season very good. – We have fished 1,860 tonnes in total this year, he says. He cannot comment on how much they have received for the fish. – It is “all time high”, says Madsen on board “Fiskebas”. Fishing for tens of millions Garvik in the Sildesalgslaget says that the average price per kilo of mackerel this year has been NOK 21.46 to the fishermen. If you take this average price as a basis, “Fiskebas” has fished mackerel for NOK 39.9 million. Garvik says that the price of mackerel barely started to rise last year, and has increased even more this year. Asking for cuts At the same time, the International Marine Research Council (ICES) believes that too much mackerel is fished. They are asking for a 22 percent cut in European mackerel quotas for 2025. – The spawning population is dangerously close to the precautionary level. In order to maintain a stock that is sustainable, fishing pressure must be reduced, writes stock manager Leif Nøttestad at the Institute of Marine Research in a press release. Fiskebas is based in Florø and has taken part in this year’s mackerel fishing. Photo: Kjell Arvid Stølen / news The fishermen at “Fiskebas” support this. – For several years, we have seen that the stock has declined. It therefore makes sense to reduce the quotas, says the skipper. The quotas have gradually decreased in recent years, in line with the fact that there has been less mackerel, he points out. Large market in Asia More and more countries have acquired a taste for the Norwegian autumn mackerel, which is fatty and gives extra good taste due to the fact that there is fat in the fish. The largest market for the fish is found in Asia, with Japan, South Korea and Vietnam being the most important. Shuhei Yamada and Ryoji Makihara are Japanese acquirers. This is an archive picture from the mackerel season in 2022, where they lived in Egersund. Photo: Øystein Otterdal / news – It has been a particularly good quarter for mackerel, with high prices, strong value growth and good demand in the important Asian markets, says Christian Chramer, CEO of Norway’s Seafood Council in a press release. Published 16.10.2024, at 05.39
ttn-69
This year’s mackerel fishing has been the best ever for Norwegian fishermen – now researchers are asking for cuts – news Vestland
