Photo: Topas Kystfiske A/S / Norges Sildesalgslag /FIS

Norway Pelagic Fishing Update Week 36

NORWAY
Tuesday, September 09, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

Excellent Mackerel Week in the Norwegian Sea

Record Catches and Varied Fishing Mark a Successful Season

Mackerel

The fishing in the Norwegian Sea has had another excellent week, with a total of 27,300 tonnes of mackerel reported. The catches were delivered by 118 different boats, with sizes varying from 1 tonne to a single impressive catch of 760 tonnes from the newbuild "Herøyhav." The most productive days were Wednesday, when 8,200 tonnes were caught, and Sunday, with 8,300 tonnes.

The distribution of the catches showed that the ringnet fleet accounted for the majority with 20,500 tonnes. In addition, the coastal fleet contributed 2,600 tonnes, SUK with 1,500 tonnes, trawl with 130 tonnes, and four foreign boats with 2,600 tonnes.

Sondre Sandvåg has captured moments from this weekend's mackerel fishing on 'Malene S'.

Despite the large quantities, the fishing was uneven. Some boats searched for days before finding the mackerel, which often gathers in huge shoals one day only to disappear without a trace the next. The fishing took place over a large geographical area, from the border with the Faroese Zone and the Loophole Area early in the week, to just 120 nautical miles from Ålesund. Over the weekend, the fleet moved 100 nautical miles north again as the mackerel came into the Norwegian zone from the Loophole Area, before turning south again on Sunday.

The caught mackerel are still large, with an average weight of 512 grams. The size varied from 460 grams to as high as 565 grams.

The quota of 152,000 tonnes has now shrunk significantly. The status shows that 98,000 tonnes have already been caught, with only 54,000 tonnes remaining. It is unusually early that so many boats have already fished their allocated quotas.

North Sea Herring

During the week, a total of 2,500 tonnes of North Sea herring were reported. Of this quantity, 1,700 tonnes were caught by two Scottish boats, with "Ocean Star" having the largest catch of 1,100 tonnes. Norwegian boats had catches ranging from 145 tonnes to 330 tonnes. The Scottish boats fished within 12 miles east of Fair Isle, where the herring gather to spawn. Norwegian boats fished in the area north of Fladengrunn. The average size of the herring varied from 180 grams to 235 grams, with the largest herring found near Fair Isle.

Sea Sprat

The boat "Gitte Henning" caught 1,200 tonnes of sea sprat in the Dutch and German sectors of the EU Zone. In total, Norwegian boats have caught 7,200 tonnes of their 10,000-tonne quota, while foreign boats have sold 34,200 tonnes through the Norwegian Pelagic Sales Association (Norges Sildesalgslag) this year.

Blue Whiting

The boat "Piraja" had two trips to "Kanten" fishing ground (areas along the edge of the Norwegian continental shelf), and caught over 500 tonnes of blue whiting and 210 tonnes of herring.

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