New minimum prices for meal and oil purposes from February 15
From February 15 the prices of raw material for meal and oil purposes will be as follows:
A lot of herring, but few vessels at Møre. Seasonal start for the capelin in the Barents Sea, but still nothing to be found at Iceland. From west there are deliveries of mackerel, while the vessels operating for blue whiting are hampered by strong winds.
Atlanto Scandic
herring
Relatively few
vessels in operation at the herring fields. Being early in the
season while the herring is available at Møre, a weekly quantity of
just 11.300 MT is fairly low. The main reason has to be found in
low quotas, several vessels already finishing their quotas and a
consequence of foreign vessels having no access to the Nw
zone.
As mentioned above, the
fishing is carried out off the Møre coast. The herring arrived
early in these areas and it is periodically reported good
observations of herring. The challenge is to find the "right
accumulation" of herring to cast. The size is very even between
320-340 g. The roe is still hard and so far no spawning is
reported.
The auction price had a
small drop to an area between NOK 4,75 and 5,30. The week average;
NOK 5,07. Still less vessels are expected to participate in the
forthcoming week.
Mackerel
Last week as well
the foreign vessels fishing mackerel had a good week. To Nw buyers
there have been 8 different vessels landing their catch; -
altogether 10.400 MT. The mackerel is no quickly migrating
southwards. During the week it has moved from the field south west
of the Hebrides to an area west of Ireland at 54° N. The size
is improving. By the start of the week the average was 360 g, while
by the end of the week the size was 390 g. So far the foreign share
of mackerel at the auction is 48.000 MT compared to 32.000 MT last
year. Following a longer distance from the fields to deliveries in
Norway, less volumes is expected in the forthcoming week.
Capelin
Both at Iceland
and in the Barents Sea the vessels are chasing the capelin.
At Iceland with no
results. In the beginning the fleet was quay side due to the
weather. When the wind calmed down, 25 vessels set sail and was
chasing the capelin. So far no capelin has been observed and
fishermen's patience has been tested. Nw vessels can go on fishing
until the 15th of February inside the Icelandic
zone.
Icelandic vessels have
been in operation in more shallow waters closer to the coast, south
east of Iceland. Nw vessels have no access to these waters.
In the Barents Sea the
first vessels hit capelin at the North Caper bank by mid-week. From
this area it is reported 2.500 MT divided on 4 vessels. The
catching was at its best by the beginning of the week and during
the weekend just smaller catches were reported.
The size is fairly small;
mixed catches at 53-55 pcs/kg. This is generally too small to be of
good consumption quality. Catches being sold for consumption
purposes are sold at minimum prices or just above (NOK 1,80). One
catch was sold for meal&oil.
Hopefully the vessels will
get better sized capelin shortly for consumption purposes. From the
Russian zone capelin is reported, but Nw vessels have no access to
this area yet.
Blue whiting
Three vessels
were heading for international waters and the blue whiting. Two
vessels, "Eros" and "Birkeland" arrived during the weekend, but
stormy weather hampered further operations. The weather forecast is
not very favourable, - hence it is highly uncertain when operations
may start. Last year the first blue whiting catch was reported on
the 8th of February - from the EU zone. From the
international zone the first catch registered was on the
14th of February.
The prices will be as follows
The prices will be as follows
From Monday 18 January 2021 the prices of raw material for meal and oil purposes will be as follows:
You'll find the current minimum prices for spring-spawning herring here
The prices will be as follows
You'll find them here