Closures of fishing areas within the Icelandic fisheries jurisdiction

Fishing areas can be closed by real time closures or regulatory closures.

Real time closures

Inspectors from the Directorate of Fisheries regularly measure the length of fish, both during inspection trips and when catches are landed. The aim of these measurements is to monitor the proportion of juvenile fish in catch.

If the proportion of juvenile fish exceeds the reference limits according to the available advice from the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, the area in question is temporarily closed. Such closures are called real time closures.

Real time closures:

• generally apply for two weeks at a time.

• are announced by the Icelandic Coast Guard on channel 16.

• are advertised on the Directorate of Fisheries website.

• are published in the Marine SDI.

• are read out after the weather forecast on RÚV's midday radio broadcast.

Regulatory closures

Fishing areas can be closed by regulation on basis of relevant laws.

Regulatory closures can be:

• temporary.

• for a specific period each year.

• indefinite.

The purpose of regulatory closures is to:

• protect specific fish species or juvenile fish.

• prevent harmful fishing practices.

• protect vulnerable marine areas and benthic ecosystems.

• protect spawning fish.

Spawning stops

Spawning stops involve the temporary closure of fishing areas to protect spawning fish. Such closures are usually implemented in the spring.

Spawning stops are announced on the Directorate of Fisheries website and published in the Marine SDI.

The purpose of spawning stops is to:

• increase the likelihood of successful spawning and hatching.

• reduce fishing pressure on spawning grounds.

• promote better recruitment of fish stocks.

Information on closed areas

Marine SDI provides an overview of all areas where fishing is prohibited, both due to:

• real time closures,

• regulation-based closures, including spawning stops.

Please note

Every effort is made to keep the information in the Marine SDI up to date at all times. In the event of a discrepancy between the information in the Marine SDI and information published through official channels, the officially published rules and announcements shall apply.

How to view information on closures in the Marine SDI

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