Mackerel population reaches record low in Icelandic waters

Recent research indicates a significant decline in the presence of mackerel in Icelandic waters, marking the lowest levels recorded since the Institute of Marine Research began monitoring in 2010. The expedition leader has suggested that the mackerel population may be nearing the end of its current surplus in Iceland’s territorial waters.

The trawler Árni Friðriksson recently completed a 33-day research mission, which included assessing the abundance of mackerel in Iceland’s exclusive economic zone. This year’s findings show substantial reductions compared to the past 15 years, with mackerel mainly located in the southeastern region, just within the boundary between Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

The growing scarcity of mackerel began to be noticeable around 2018-2019, initially in Greenlandic waters and subsequently off the western coast of Iceland. This year, however, the abundance is particularly low. The research gathered data over 65 trawling stations, covering approximately 6,000 nautical miles, with examinations conducted into the distribution and density of mackerel, herring, and capelin.

Anna Heiða Ólafsdóttir, the expedition leader, noted that the data suggests a troubling trend as mackerel appear to be entering Icelandic waters in significantly smaller numbers than before. “Based on this year’s results, it seems like the stock is nearing depletion,” she stated, while emphasizing the uncertainty of future developments. The contribution of mackerel fishing to Iceland’s economy over the last fifteen years has been substantial, amounting to tens of billions of krónur, but the current outlook raises concerns about the sustainability of the fishery.