Grimsby - the home of 海角视频 seafood supply - is bracing itself for a rise in the cost of its favoured fish.
The quota for haddock looks set to be reduced by more than a quarter in Iceland – the primary source – with Fisheries Minister Kristján Þór Júlíusson putting forward a 28 per cent cut to 41,000 tonnes.
And while other fishing grounds are seeing a rise, the ruling – made entirely on advice from the country’s Marine Research Institute – is undoubtedly a blow due to the established supply chain.
Martyn Boyers, chief executive of Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprises, operator of the town’s market, said: “It will have an impact as Grimsby is a very strong haddock-orientated port, and haddock accounts for 50 per cent of fish supplied on the market.
“A cut of 28 per cent of quota is considerable, but there is still going to be 40,000 tonnes, which is a lot of fish.
“Demand is strong in Grimsby and the Humber, most of the processors use cod and haddock, they are the main species. The only comfort is some is offset as cod stock is in a good position and is being marginally increased.”
While dramatic, the figure was 34,600 tonnes in 2017, with a 64 per cent rise to the current 56,700-tonne allowance triggered by 50 year high spawning stocks.
Cod will hike up 10,000 tonnes, from 262,000 to 272,000.
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Mr Boyers remains confident Grimsby will be an attractive port to send to though, following discussions with a major supplier at the European Seafood Exposition, after a remarkable run of availability.
“We may well get a little bit more cod and a lot less haddock,” he said. “It is one to watch, and difficult to judge how it is going to work out. Demand for whitefish as a protein has increased dramatically across the world, and when I met with Samherji in Brussels, they told me they have done very well out of Grimsby Fish Market. It is a strong place to sell, well established. I can certainly see value of fish rising, but we have to watch volume - we are a volume-based port, and we are going to enter into a volatile period.
“We have had a good run, but it comes to an end. We have seen an increase in sales year on year, we had the best Easter for 15 years, but the nature of the game is that things change dramatically, and they are certainly changing very quickly.”
The new fishing year starts on September 1.
Simon Dwyer, secretariat of Grimsby Fish Merchants’ Association, said: “It is disappointing really for Grimsby processors. It takes us back to where we were two years ago in volume, a reversal of the spike we have had over the past year. It may have an impact on price, in terms of an increase, although the Norwegian quota has been increased, and with Norway, Russia and Iceland together, there could be more.”
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea has recommended cod catches in the Barents Sea are set at 689,672 tonnes for 2020, up from 674,678 with haddock up 25 per cent from 172,000 to 215,000. Yet to be put forward, it is understood there could also be reductions in European waters, including the North Sea, however - with the likes of Peterhead looking on with interest.
Whatever is agreed, attracting it to Grimsby is key, with road the route from Scandinavia and Russia, whereas Iceland’s bounty sails to Immingham.
All quota limits are anticipated to be confirmed next month, but Iceland hasn’t strayed from advice for a decade.