Lumpfish fishing season 2013
The lumpfish fishing season is coming to an end for this season and Royal Greenland can look back at a busy season where the quality of both fish and roe has been excellent.
The past three months have been extremely busy in the 12 factories along the Greenlandic west coast where Royal Greenland purchase roe from local fishermen. Due to mild weather in March and April the season started unusually early and fishing conditions have been good, but also the fact that cod prices have been low this spring have encouraged more fishermen to focus on the lumpfish fishery.
“In southern Greenland the lumpfish fishery has now ended and the local fishermen are now concentrating on their cod traps, whereas there is still some activity on the northernmost locations” says Operations Manager, Sten Sørensen and emphasizes the good cooperation with the fishermen as the main reason for a successful season “it is the diligence of the local fishermen that makes the good product quality we have seen also this season in both lumpfish and roe”.
Over the past decade Greenland has become a significant player in the world production of lumpfish roe. Landings in Newfoundland and Norway have decreased drastically while Iceland and Greenland have intensified their fisheries. The total catch increased slightly from 22,000 barrels in 2007 to 24,000 barrels in 2011. Royal Greenland is the only processor in Greenland who is fully integrated in the whole value chain from fishery to finished consumer products.
