Faroese Mackerel Exports More than Double in Value Year-on-Year

Bui Tyril
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Faroese Mackerel Exports More than Double in Value Year-on-Year

The value of Faroese exports of Atlantic mackerel increased by 131 percent during the 12-month period up until September 2025, compared to the corresponding period from a year earlier. According to Statistics Faroe Islands, the export value of the species went from 858 million DKK (115M EUR) to as much as 1.98 billion DKK (265M EUR).

The soaring value of mackerel exports is linked to rising market prices for the species amid a supply dip. Meanwhile a nearly 12-percent increase in the total value of the Faroe Islands’ seafood exports was reported—up from 11.95B DKK (1.6B EUR) in the October 2023–September 2024 period, to more than 13.3B DKK (1.786B EUR) in October 2024–September 2025.

However the top species, farmed Atlantic salmon, declined by 4.5 percent during the same period, as per the official statistics bureau—from 6B DKK (800M EUR) to just over 5.7B DKK (770M EUR).

Cod, another major item, rose significantly in value year-on-year, from 1.02B DKK (137M EUR) to 1.31B DKK (176M EUR).

Most of the mackerel is exported to Eastern Europe, especially the Russian Federation. The top five exports markets for Faroese fish products are currently, in no particular order, United States, Russia, Denmark, United Kingdom, and Spain.

Framherji to Replace Pelagic Trawler Fagraberg amid Cuts on Quotas

Bui Tyril
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Framherji to Replace Pelagic Trawler Fagraberg amid Cuts on Quotas

With the replacement of pelagic trawler Fagraberg by Shetland’s Serene, a newer and less worn vessel, Fuglafjørður-based Framherji’s fleet of fishing vessels is in for another upgrade within the next few months.

Framherji less than a year ago took delivery of the Høgaberg, a brand new pelagic trawler and purse seiner. In 2022, the company received freezer trawler Akraberg, the first vessel commissioned and built from scratch by Framherji. The fishing company also owns and operates two freezer longliners, Stapin and Jógvan I, in addition to owning half of the trawlers associated with Runavík’s seafood processor Faroe Origin.

The latest investments happen against the backdrop of a projected decline in the pelagic business for 2026, in result of unexpected recommendations for large-scale reduction of the total catch quota for key species.

Top performing trawler

As per Framherji managing owner Anfinn Olsen, the Serene will be delivered to Framherji within the first quarter of the new year.

“We will take over the Serene on March 1st and name her Fagraberg,” Mr. Olsen told news service Portal.fo. He added that the current, well-worn but still high performing Fagraberg will be sold in connection with the replacement. 

“We’ve had some queries on Fagraberg although nothing tangible is on yet, however word has spread that we are in the process of replacing the vessel,” Mr. Olsen was quoted as saying. 

“The current Fagraberg has served us well and therefore people are interested in the trawler,” he further noted.

The current Fagraberg, previously Krúnborg, was built in 1999 and has long been known as one of the best performing pelagic vessels of the Faroese fleet and beyond, in particular on blue whiting, having fished on average more than an astonishing 52,000 tonnes per annum for 25 years straight.

‘We remain optimistic’

The 82-meter long Serene, with a beam of 17.2 m, was built in 2018 by Skagen’s Karstensens Shipyard. The pelagic trawler has a 10,000-horse power MAN main engine and a hold capacity of 3,000 tonnes of refrigerated catch, similar to the current Fagraberg.

Although the Serene will be eight years old at the time of delivery to Framherji, the trawler is considered as good as new, owing to the fact that the Shetlanders only use their pelagic trawlers to a very limited extent compared to the Faroese, whose catch quotas are considerably larger.

Meanwhile the quotas for blue whiting and Atlantic mackerel are expected to be reduced significantly for the coming season. According to Mr. Olsen, the rather dramatic reduction of the catch quotas as recommended in the latest advisory report from ICES, was not part of the equation at the time of the signing of the purchase contract for the Fagraberg replacement.

“Of course we wouldn’t know that they would be recommending such drastic cuts for blue whiting and mackerel,” Mr. Olsen said. “Although this may present a challenge, the current Fagraberg is not getting any younger. Besides, catch quotas have fluctuated as long as memory serves, and we’re likely going have a year that will see the Faroese position weaken to some degree. However, Framherji holds a significant proportion of the Faroese catch quotas so we remain optimistic of the future despite the large catch reduction expected for blue whiting and mackerel in 2026.”

Sørvágur’s Semi-new Freezer Trawler ‘Vesturleiki’ to Target Multiple Species

Bui Tyril
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Sørvágur’s Semi-new Freezer Trawler ‘Vesturleiki’ to Target Multiple Species

The Danish freezer trawler previously known as ‘Myggenes’ has been purchased by Sørvágur-based fishing company Brestir, shipbroker Atlantic Shipping announced.

Built in 2021 at Karstensens Shipyard in Skagen, the new ‘Vesturleiki’ has not been in operation up until now. The vessel is currently undergoing refitting at Karstensens for fishing in Faroese waters. 

With a 1,900-horsepower Yanmar main engine, the new Vesturleiki has a length of 48 meters land a beam of 11 m. 

The freezer trawler will target both whitefish and other species, we’re told.

The price tag for the refitted trawler is expected to amount to an approximate 200 million DKK (27M EUR), according to reports.

Major Maintenance on Vagar Airport Runway Nears Completion

Bui Tyril
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Major Maintenance on Vagar Airport Runway Nears Completion

Repair and maintenance work carried out on the airport runway at Vagar over the past two years is about to be completed, with little to no air traffic disruptions caused in the process.

According to Vagar Airport, new pavement has been laid on the runway, taxiway and apron with all work completed except for the turn pads, which are being extended, and the airfield lights, which are being replaced for higher energy efficiency.

Part of the tarmac work was routine surface renewal maintenance whereas some sections of the runway needed more thorough repairs. The type of pavement used is flexible or, more precisely, hot-mix asphalt produced at Sund near Tórshavn.

The 100 million DKK (13.4M EUR) maintenance project is expected completed within a few weeks. It dovetails with a larger 500M DKK (67M EUR) extension project that will see the terminal building renovated and expanded as well as having a new parking lot added plus ground developed for a new aircraft hangar.

“Pavement repair and maintenance has been carried out during night hours to minimize air traffic disruptions,” a Vagar Airport project manager noted.

“One of the challenges related to runway pavement work has to do with timing in connection with the manufacturing of hot-mix asphalt. The logistics in this case has involved making the decision by 2pm, on a daily basis for months on end, on whether to proceed with the next production batch of 1,000 tonnes of fresh HMA for the coming night’s tarmacking. You can only lay the asphalt while it’s still hot and it has to be done in time to become hardened and safe for airport use before the day’s runway traffic commences.”

Faroe Takes Leading Position in Power Grid Reliance on Wind

Bui Tyril
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Faroe Takes Leading Position in Power Grid Reliance on Wind

The Faroe Islands has achieved a leading edge in the utilization of wind as sole energy source in its power grid, with apparently none other country having demonstrated equivalent results.

According to Hákun Djur­huus, chief executive of Sev, the wind-swept islands’ utility company, experiments with the combination of synchronous condensers and battery energy storage for grid stabilization has made it possible for the Suðuroy region during certain periods of time to rely exclusively on energy generated by the Porkeri Wind Farm.

Sev chief executive Hákun Djurhuus. Image credits: Maria Olsen.

Ongoing research and development will likely make it possible to further extent the periods of full reliance on wind on Suðuroy and, ultimately, on all of the Faroe Islands, Mr. Djurhuus told energy magazine ORKUtrygd.

“One tangible factor that has entered the equation with the high amounts of wind and the efforts to utilize the wind—which has contributed to increasing the utilization—is the use of battery energy storage and synchronous condensers,” he noted.

“In this respect we’re conducting research and development on Suðuroy—we started there and are still doing it there—and have gained valuable experience from it, and we’re in the process of taking this to the other islands. It’s 10 times as costly… because on Suðuroy the scale of things are one-tenth of the rest of the islands—energy consumption, population and all of that.”

Similar development as has taken place on Suðuroy will now be carried out on Sandoy, Streymoy, and Eysturoy, according to Mr. Djurhuus.

“These developments contribute to utilizing wind power more better,” he said. “Our experience on Suðuroy show that we can actually have wind as the sole energy source on the grid… With these tools that are being introduced within the next two or three years, we can with confidence run the grid entirely on wind power. That is unprecedented anywhere in the world. So we’re developing solutions that have never been tried before, and this is also raising eyebrows abroad.”

Tremendous New Trawler Høgaberg

Bui Tyril
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Tremendous New Trawler Høgaberg

The town of Fuglafjørður had good reason to celebrate the January 31st arrival of fishing company Framherji’s brand new trawler and purse seiner Høgaberg FD 110.

The new Høgaberg docked at the main fishing harbor on a wet and windy Friday afternoon, to the tune of a grand reception and naming event. The local brass ensemble and a local choir delivered live music, adding extra layers of festivity and weight to the event.

Then, to the cheer of a considerable crowd that had gathered braving the weather, Rósa Olsen, the daughter of Framherji managing owners Anfinn Olsen and Elisabeth Eldevig, smashed the ceremonial bottle of champaign against the hull of the 88-meter vessel.

Alongside a congratulatory address from the mayor of Fuglafjørður, Dávur Juul, the event featured a speech by Mr. Olsen.

All the people were subsequently invited to inspect the impressive ship as well as being treated to a delicious fish soup and a fine selection of cookies and sweets along with drinks.

Built by Karstensens Shipyard and designed for pelagic fishing, in particular for mackerel, herring and blue whiting, the Høgaberg replaces Framherji’s relinquished, smaller purse seiner of the same name. The newbuild is both larger and more powerful, and even more sophisticated, energy efficient and environmentally friendly than its predecessor.

“This vessel is not least designed for the highly demanding blue whiting fishery in Faroese waters,” Mr. Olsen said in a separate interview. “This particular fishery requires large and robust vessels with powerful engines and heavy gear—it takes place during winter often in rough seas. Besides, blue whiting is the largest commercial fish stock of the Faroe Islands. That means you need to be able to catch high volumes in short order, properly handle the fish to ensure the best product quality, and bring it to shore as quickly as possible.”

At a total price tag of about 45 million EUR, the new Høgaberg is fitted with an impressive array of the latest state-of-the-art technology in everything from main engines to bridge electronics to fishing gear and deck equipment. With two 3,600 kiloWatt (4,800 horsepower) main engines, the Høgaberg can easily tow large and heavy gears with huge catches.

A 2,300kW shaft alternator is fitted to the front drive of each main engine and, for additional electrical power, the vessel has auxiliary generators plus a battery system with a capacity of 1,100kW hours.

“This vessel is made for top performance and effective fishing and today that includes maximum resource utilization, environmental considerations, low emissions, and crew comfort,” Mr. Olsen added.

His son, Jógvan Ingvard Olsen, is one of two master mariners to skipper the new trawler, the other one being Høgni Hansen. With a rotating arrangement for 24 aboard and 12 ashore for each shift, a total 36 crew and officers are assigned to the Høgaberg.

Faroe-Russian Fisheries Treaty Extended for 2025

Alda Nielsdóttir
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Faroe-Russian Fisheries Treaty Extended for 2025

The long-standing bilateral fisheries treaty between the Faroe Islands and the Russian Federation has been extended for 2025, after negotiations conducted earlier this week. The catch quota for Atlantic cod was significantly reduced as expected following the agreement made earlier this year between Norway and Russia, which saw the total allowable catch in the Barents Sea cod fishery reduced by as much as one-fourth.

Hanus Hansen, chief executive of JFK, one of the Faroese fishing companies involved in the Barents Sea fishery, expressed his satisfaction with the agreement, which for the Faroese means a slightly less catch quota reduction compared to what is implied in the Russo-Norwegian deal on fisheries management of the area.

As per the updated agreement, the Faroese catch quotas for cod and haddock in the Russian sector of the Barents Sea are reduced by almost 24 percent and 4.5 pc., respectively, with the quotas for flatfish and northern shrimp remaining unchanged from the previous season. By volume for 2025, that puts the total Faroese cod quota in Russian waters at 7,445 tonnes, haddock at 1,000 tonnes, flatfish at 900 tonnes and shrimp at 4,000 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Fisheries and Infrastructure.

Meanwhile Russian mackerel and herring catch quotas in Faroese waters have been reduced by over one-third and just over one-tenth, respectively, whereas the Russian quota for blue whiting remains unchanged from 2024, at a total 75,000 tonnes. As for mackerel and herring, the Russian catch quotas have been set at just over 8,000 tonnes and at 5,800 tonnes, respectively.

Vagar Airport Passenger Traffic Climbs to New Records

Alda Nielsdóttir
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Vagar Airport Passenger Traffic Climbs to New Records

About 362,500 passengers have traveled through Vagar Airport so far this year, according to statistics released by the airport. As for the month of September this year, the number of passengers exceeded 40,000 for the first time.

The total number of 40,505 passengers registered during September 2024 represents a 9.9-percent year-on-year increase.

2023, meanwhile, was a record-breaking year for the airport with 431,000 travelers passing through the terminal at Vagar. The current year is likewise projected to see new record-breaking numbers. 

As per CEO Regin I. Jakobsen, a total 450,000 passengers are expected go through the terminal gates in 2024. “Within the next couple of decades, the current figures are on a trajectory to double,” Mr. Jakobsen told radio station FM1. 

About a year ago, Vagar Airport announced its plans to treble the capacity of the existing passenger terminal and boost facilities such as baggage handling and security to make room for increasing air traffic.

Currently, five airlines offer regular flights to and from Vagar Airport—passenger airlines Atlantic Airways, Widerøe, SAS, and IcelandAir, and air freight carrier FarCargo.

Vagar Airport Looks to Expand Terminal Capacity Three-fold

Samskip Gains Foothold in Faroese Container Shipping Market

Bui Tyril
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Samskip Gains Foothold in Faroese Container Shipping Market

International logistics company Samskip has roughly doubled its business footprint in the Faroe Islands since 2020, news outlet FM1.fo reported.

Samskip has had a presence in the Faroes for a number of years, focusing squarely on container shipping services for imports and exports. In particular the export business, by far mostly consisting of fish products, is driving the company’s growth here, general manager Sjúrður Johansen said.

Samskip is about to expand its container storage area in Runavík to cover some 25,000 square meters, he added.

“We are pleased with working with the Port of Runavík,” Mr. Johansen said. “This location gives us good access to serving the fish industry in Runavík, Glyvrar, Fuglafjørður and Klaksvík.”

Samskip still struggles in the import business, Mr. Johansen admitted. However, he added, when it comes to exports from the Faroes, the company’s market share has doubled over the last four to five years, from less than 10 percent to between 15 and 20 pc.

One critical factor in Samskip’s rising market share in the Faroese export business is attributed to the company’s inland container depot (ICD) arrangement with deep sea shipping giant CMA-CGA, an agreement signed some five years ago.

“The ICD also makes us more competitive when it comes to container shipping across the world’s oceans,” Mr. Johansen said.

Fuglafjørður: A World-leading Fish Industry Hub—Film

Bui Tyril
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Fuglafjørður: A World-leading Fish Industry Hub—Film

This is Fuglafjørður, a port town that serves as a critical node in the fish industry of a large region in the northeast Atlantic.

Focused on primary production, manufacturing and supporting services and technologies, Fuglafjørður-based businesses, combined, generate revenues of about 800 million EUR each year, or well over half of the total export value of the tiny but highly productive Faroe Islands.

The world-renowned business ecosystem that surrounds fishmeal, marine oil and salmon feed manufacturing complex Havsbrún consists of various maritime service providers, engineering and technology firms, and production facilities—fishing company Framherji, cold storage facility Bergfrost, freezing plant Pelagos, fishing gear and aquaculture equipment developer Vónin, companies that develop and supply feeding barges, underwater lighting, farming pens, workboats, and hatchery systems for the international aquaculture industry as well as building and servicing fish processing machinery; also there are service providers such as ship chandler Vistir, another leader in its field.

Aquaculture majors Bakkafrost and Mowi both have an active presence here; the former as the owner of Havsbrún while also operating salmon farms in the bay; the latter as the owner and operator of a salmon hatchery at Hellurnar, north of Fuglafjørður itself.

Fuglafjørður also has the country’s most jobs per capita, at some of the highest average wages, and its industry is the country’s largest consumer of electrical power.

Of all Faroese ports, the Port of Fuglafjørður has the highest throughput in tonnage, about half a million tonnes per year, receiving about 1,000 ship calls annually.

Fuglafjørður’s strong and well coordinated business environment is primarily based on the pelagic fish and salmon farming industries.

A long-established top pelagic port.

Featuring:
• Port of Fuglafjørður
• Havsbrún
• Bergfrost
• Pelagos
• Vónin
• Framherji
• Mowi Faroe Islands
• Vistir

RELEASE DATE: JULY 11th, 2024.

Videography by Maria Olsen and Bui Tyril.
Edited by Bui Tyril and Maria Olsen.
Written and Narrated by Bui Tyril.
Music: “Port F” by Tyril.
Produced by Tyril & Olsen.

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