Codfishes
Codfishes
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Whiting and haddock in the foreground, saithe and cod in the background Photo: Erlendur Bogason |
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Saithe in a kelp forest Photo: Erlendur Bogason |
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-Saithe_in_kelp_forest--(copyright-Erlendur.B).jpg)
Codfishes (gadoids) could, perhaps, be described as the archetypical fishes of Icelandic waters, and the ecosystem around Iceland could also be described as a codfish dominated ecosystem; such is their importance. Most important, of course, is the cod itself which has nearly always been Iceland’s no. 1 export and source of income. Of less importance, but usually included among the 5 most commercially important species, are the haddock and the saithe. The only pelagic codfish, the blue whiting, was in 2007 the 7th most important commercial species to be found in Icelandic waters, an increase from almost no catches at all in 1995.
Below these in importance are the ling and the tusk, species that have long been of commercial interest, but have not been placed in the ranks of the most important species. Still further down the list come the blue ling and whiting, species that have sustained regular catches, but usually as bycatch in other fisheries.
This is by no means a complete list of codfish types in Icelandic waters, as a total of 37 species have been recorded there. A few of these, such as roughhead grenadier (Macrourus berglax) and roundnose grenadier (Cyrophaenoides rupestris) are fairly large and common enough to have sustained minor catches in the past. Other large gadoids that have occurred around Iceland, but are not native to Icelandic waters, are the pollack (Pollachius pollachius), a fairly frequent guest from European waters (usually as single individuals), and the hake (Merluccius merluccius) a commercially important species throughout the world, but only a rare guest in the seas around Iceland.
Of the many smaller gadoids that live in Icelandic waters, only one, the Norway pout, (Trisopterus esmarki) has sustained some catches. It is common to the south and west of Iceland, but a problem arose with this fishery as the juveniles of more economically important species, such as cod and haddock, were frequently hauled in also, as bycatch. These fisheries were therefore discontinued, which was, perhaps, just as well as Norway pout is ecologically important as a food for many other species. Other smaller gadoids that are fairly common are the Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), blue antimora (Antomora rostrata), greater fork-beard (Phycis blennoides), Arctic rockling (Gaidropsarus argentatus) and several species of grenadiers (macrouridae).
Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson, University of Akureyri
