Small decked vessels

Decked vessels are the largest and most diverse category of fishing boats in Iceland. They range from small boats using handlines to large multipurpose vessels fishing with trawls or purse seines. Official statistics divide them into 7 categories based on size.

Up to 10 GT

The smallest category, boats up to 10 GT, are very similar to the undecked boats in most regards and are, despite the deck, essentially part of the same fleet. They mostly fish for cod and lumpsucker in inshore regions all around Iceland. They have a crew of one to three and usually land the catch each day.

From 11 to 25 GT

Boats from 11 to 25 GT are also inshore boats and there is no sharp difference between these vessel categories, but rather a gradual change as the boats get larger. And as they grow in size, they use larger and more effective fishing gear, mainly longlines and to a lesser degree gillnets. The larger boats are also able to fish further from shore. These boats are in use all around Iceland, but the majority are used from harbours along the western coast, from the southwest to the northwest. Many older boats in this class were built from steel and wood, but most of the newer ones (this also includes many boats less than 10 GT) are built from synthetic fibers. As a result of steady evolution in the use of these materials, the “plastic” boats are constantly growing stronger, faster and larger. Icelandic shipbuilders are leading this trend and gaining considerable success in exporting these boats also.

From 26 to 100 GT

There is a sharp difference between boats smaller and larger than 25 GT regarding the type of fishing gear they use. This is mainly because of regulations allowing boats under a certain size to fish in a slightly different quota system, with handlines and longlines. Most, if not all of these boats fall within the categories of boats less than 25 GT. Stricter rules apply to the larger boats, but they can also use other types of fishing gear. Boats in the category of 26 to 100 GT mostly use Danish seines and gillets for cod and flatfish. This (some are also in the next size category) was the main type of boat used to fish cod with gillnets during the spawning time in spring. Previously the majority of the cod catches were from this period and a large part of the Icelandic fishing fleet fished off the south-western coast, where the main spawning grounds are in spring. With better fish finding technology and better boats, this fleet has declined and the demersal fisheries have spread more evenly over the year, either with modern much smaller boats or larger trawling or longline vessels. Still, a disproportionally large number of boats in this size category are based in south-western Iceland where the spawning fisheries are conducted.

These boats spend up to 4 days at sea each time and have a crew of 6 to 10.

See next page for information on larger decked vessels

Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson / Hörður Sævaldsson, University of Akureyri