Statistics Iceland has released figures showing an increase in registered Icelandic fishing vessels in 2012.
The report shows that there were 35 more fishing vessels registered with the Icelandic Maritime Administration in 2012 than in the prevous year, bringing the total number of vessels to 1690. Decked vessels and undecked vessels accounted for the increase, with decked vessels increasing by 14 and the undecked variety increasing by 23. There were two fewer Icelandic trawlers in circulation in 2012, however.
The increase in vessels at sea resulted in a 6% increase in total catch reported by Icelandic ships in 2012. In the first eleven months of 2012 Icelandic fishing vessels caught fish equivalent to 152.2 billion ISK, compared to the paltry 143.6 billion ISK value of fish caught in the first eleven months of 2011.
The growth trend year-over-year may not hold, however, as the total catch of Icelandic vessels in January 2013 was just 147,314 tonnes, in comparison to the 198,290 tonnes caught in the same month in 2012. This represents an 8% decrease in profits, at constant prices according to Statistics Iceland.
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