Waiting by the ice for saithe

HB Grandi’s trawler Ásbjörn is fishing off the Westfjords and we managed to reach skipper Friðleifur Einarsson with the trawler in a position on the Hali grounds west of the pack ice between Greenland and Iceland. He said that they are hoping that before the trip is over the saithe will start to collect around the food that concentrates where warm and cold currents meet, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to the company.

Ásbjörn sailed form Reykjavík on Tuesday and started the trip on golden redfish on the HB Grandi fleet’s traditional fishing grounds off the south-west of Iceland.

‘We started well, and then the decision was taken to switch to the Westfjords grounds. We were here around midday on Friday, but fishing has been fairly quiet. We’re mainly chasing saithe, which is what the whole fleet has been doing for while now. There have been a few good saithe hauls and we’re hoping for the best,‘ Friðleifur Einarsson said.

‘Gnúpur is fishing here a little closer in and shallower, and there are other trawlers around as well,’ he sai

Ásbjörn has seen a low rate of by-catch so far on these fishing grounds. Any by-catch tends to be mainly cod, as well as the occasional haddock or plaice that finds its way into the trawl.