Distant waters

Iceland has primarily been a coastal fishing country and the majority of landings from Icelandic boats have always been from Icelandic waters. However, there are several exceptions to this. The first distant water fishery by Icelandic boats was an experimental fishery in Newfoundland waters which was started just a few years after the first trawler arrived. Although this fishery did not prove successful, real fisheries in distant waters were established for cod in the Barents Sea in 1934. These fisheries were on a relatively low scale until after the Second World War when they increased to about 5,000 t in 1950. During this time, the Icelandic boats had found new and better grounds in Greenlandic waters. Thus, the groundfish fisheries in the Barents Sea declined and were virtually non-existent after 1952.

Although cod was always an important species in distant waters, catches of redfish surpassed cod in some years. Icelandic trawlers also sought fish in North American waters where large catches of redfish were taken in 1958 and 1959. The distant water fisheries declined in importance when the side trawlers were phased out after 1975, since the stern trawlers initially preferred coastal water.

Icelandic trawlers did not really leave Icelandic waters from 1977 to 1993. However, during this time, significant quota reductions were being introduced and fishers began looking for alternative fisheries to participate in. Icelandic trawlers located a position in the Barents Sea in 1993 where cod migrated through an area that was outside any nations’ EEZ. Icelanders have fished in this area ever since, and an agreement with the Norwegians and Russions concerning quotas has been negotiated. Icelandic trawlers also found another ground which did not fall within an EEZ. This area is known as the Flemish Cap and is located off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. The main species fished in this area has always been shrimp. Icelandic boats have also recently sought shrimp in the Barents Sea.

Herring fisheries were quite important for the Icelandic economy in the 1960s. In the mid-1960s, the Atlanto-Scandian stock started to change its migration pattern, moving further and further from Iceland. At the same time, the stock was being heavily overfished. As a result, Icelandic purse-seiners began to seek herring in distant waters after 1964. These fisheries were conducted until 1976 throughout the North Atlantic, from the North Sea to the waters off Canada. The pelagic fleet withdrew into Icelandic waters at the same time as the trawlers in 1977, but did not resume a search for other opportunities until 1994. At this time, the Atlanto-Scandian herring stock had partially recovered and their migration patterns brought them again near the Icelandic EEZ.

Other pelagic fish species have also been fished in distant waters, mainly driven by the collapse of the spring spawning herring mentioned above. Mackerel was fished in the North Sea from 1967 until 1976, horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.) and sardinella (Sardinella spp.) in West Africa in 1975, capelin in Canadian waters from 1975 to 1978, and blue whiting in Faroese waters from 1977 to 1983.

Hörður Sævaldsson / Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson University of Akureyri