HB Grandi: blue whiting goes quiet
‘The blue whiting fishery is very quiet now. It’s not as if this is a surprise, although there had been hopes that the good fishing would continue for a while,’ said Víkingur’s skipper Albert Sveinsson.
Víkingur owned by HB Grandi from Iceland was towing in the southern part of the Ræsi grounds, around 50 nautical miles south-west of the Faroe Islands. By then, Víkingur and its crew had been at sea for a week, with 2100 tonnes in the tanks.
‘We have been doing long tows, up to twenty-four hours, and have been taking hauls of around 300 tonnes. There’s less today, but we’re hopeful. The blue whiting are very dispersed, ad they’re not easy to handle until they start to group together,’ Albert Sveinsson said.
He commented that they haven’t heard anything of the fishing further south in international waters, and it appears that the blue whiting have migrated north.
‘There was a Norwegian pelagic boat searching for blue whiting further south, but they didn’t find anything. They came up here yesterday and are fishing the northern Ræsi grounds.’
There are three Icelandic pelagic vessels fishing on the same grounds, with Venus and Aðalsteinn Jónsson fishing there, while Jón Kjartansson is on the way. In addition, there are a number of other fishing vessels, mainly from Russia and the Faroe Islands.
‘Venus has pretty much just arrived and they’re on their second tow. We could do with a good haul to finish the trip, and then we should manage one more trip before Seamen’s Day,’ Albert Sveinsson said.
About HB Grandi
HB Grandi hf. is one of Iceland’s largest seafood companies. The company has a long history and extensive experience and expertise in the utilisation of natural resources and fish production, which is reflected in all its activities. The company focuses on sophisticated fishing and processing technology and continuous production development. The company produces high-quality products from the fresh wild fish caught in Icelandic waters. Respect for the environment and the marine ecosystem is the basis for all activities at HB Grandi, and every effort is made to respect the resource and operate responsible fisheries, for the benefit of future generations. HB Grandi emphasises corporate social responsibility, as it has always been the goal of the company that all its activities reflect its responsibility towards the marine resources and the community.
HB Grandi is engaged in the fishing and processing of groundfish and pelagic fish. The company employs approximately 800 people at sea and on land. The products are sold all over the world, with the largest markets being Europe, Asia and North America.
HB Grandi has integrated operations in fishing, processing and marketing in order to promote efficient production and ensure an unrestricted pathway from catch to markets. It is easy to trace the route of the product from delivery all the way back to the sea. The key to the company's success lies in its excellent staff, both at sea and on land, who are committed to delivering quality products to buyers and consumers.