Large decked vessels

From 101 to 300 GT

For boats larger than 100 GT, the change is gradual from the “spawning season” boats described on the page on small decked boats, to large longliners, trawling boats and finally, in the largest categories, purse seiners and multipurpose boats that can use both purse seines and trawls. Boats in the category from 101 to 300 GT mostly use Danish seines, trawls and longlines, although not classified as trawlers. These longliners are also quite distinct from the smaller longliners described in Small decked boats. Many boats in this category also fish seasonally for invertebrates, such as shrimp, lobster and previously scallop. However, they are too small to operate purse seines.

From 301 to 500 GT

Boats in the size category from 301 to 500 GT are now mostly fishing with longlines and trawls, a few gillnetters and Danish seiners remain in this category. There has been a decline in the numbers of these boats, as previously many vessels in this category were purse seiners fishing for capelin and coastal herring. They are now being phased out in preference to larger and more powerful vessels that are also capable of fishing blue whiting and Atlanti-Scandian herring with midwater trawls and of cooling their holds. Some of the smaller purse seiners have also been converted to longliners. Most of these intermediate sized boats are based in towns along the southern, south-western and western coast.

Many boats in this and also previous category were originally built in the 1960´s as purse seiners for the booming herring fisheries. After the collapse of the herring stocks many of them continued to use purse seines, but turned their attention to capelin; others were partly or entirely converted to use longlines, gillnets or trawls for demersal fishes. These boats have served well for a long time and many have been modified several times, but are now declining in numbers. There is in fact also a related evolution happening in this category; the number of large longliners is increasing either as converted purse seiners or newly-built ships.

Larger than 501 GT

Most of the newest boats in the pelagic fleet are within the categories of vessels between 501 – 1000 GT and 1001 GT and larger. These use, in roughly equal amounts, purse seines and midwater trawls, depending on the species and season. These boats are much more powerful than the older purse seiners and have the advantage that they can also target blue whiting, Atlanto-Scandian herring and mackerel with midwater trawl. These newer boats are also equipped with cooling equipment that keeps the catch fresh for longer. This development towards larger and more powerful pelagic vessels began in the 1990´s and is ongoing. The category of vessels 501 – 1999 GT also contains some new, very large deepwater longliners. As opposed to the intermediate sized boats, the main operators of these very large vessels are from north-eastern and eastern Iceland. This has historical and biological roots, as the intermediate boats are best suited for the spawning fisheries for cod, mostly conducted off the southwest coats, whereas the larger vessels are best suited to fish the pelagic species, herring and capelin. The main fishing grounds for these are off the north and east coast.

See previous page for information on smaller decked vessels.

Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson / Hörður Sævaldsson, University of Akureyri