Up to 400 boats could go inshore fishing when the season starts on Monday, RÚV reports.
Each boat is allowed to fish for a total of 48 days, from the beginning of May to the end of August. “Last year, about 400 people had secured a permit, but now on Monday, it will be clear what the weather will be like,” says Örn Pálsson, executive director of the National Association of Small Boat Owners. “If it gets mild all over the country, I really expect that there will be 350-400 boats that could start fishing.”
672 boats were coastal fishing last summer and Örn expects more boats this year.
Coastal fishing has never received such a large share of the total catch—a total of 10,000 tonnes of cod, which is 4.5% of the total catch allowance of cod.
Small boat owners have emphasized that 48 fishing days will be guaranteed by law and that the fishing time will be controlled instead of the allocated catch quotas.
“I am optimistic that we will succeed. A review is to be carried out, one more year, and I hope that more energy will be put into coastal fishing so that it will be ensured that there will be no stoppage,“ says Örn.
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!
