Cuts on catch quotas are set to reduce fishing this year; however, fishing company Framherji has its fleet further upgraded with state-of-the-art vessels to secure effective, energy efficient and environmentally friendly operations.
Coming on the heels of an “exceptional” last year, this season (2026) is expected to bring some fresh challenges for Fuglafjørður-based fishing company Framherji. As one of the leading vessel owners in the Faroese catch sector, Framherji operates a fleet that is growing in stature, consisting increasingly of highly modern and advanced vessels.
Alongside freezer trawler Akraberg, purse seiner/pelagic trawler Høgaberg, pelagic trawler Fagraberg, and freezer longliners Stapin and Jógvan I, the company owns and operates fresh fish trawlers Bakur and Falkur. Targeting mainly saithe in domestic waters, both of these trawlers work in pair teams with sister vessels owned by Gøta-based Varðin. A third pair of trawlers—now freezer trawlers, each priced at 180 million dkk (24M eur)—is being built in that connection. With both vessels set for delivery later this year, Framherji’s is named Lerkur and the Varðin-owned sister named Sjúrður Tollaksson.
The spring of 2026 saw the replacement of the old Fagraberg with a newer vessel, at a price tag of around 250M dkk (33.5M eur). The replacement, formerly known as Shetland’s Serene, was built in 2018 but was purchased by Framherji in pristine condition, virtually as good as new with near-zero wear and tear. This upgrade represents another high mark for Framherji, elevating the company’s entire triumvirate of large, 82 to 84-meter vessels to the top of their respective leagues.
Just a year earlier, Framherji had taken delivery of the brand new and highly impressive Høgaberg. Both Fagraberg and Høgaberg, 82m length overall (17.2m beam) and 83.4m length overall (16.5m beam), respectively, are dimensioned, fitted, powered and equipped to target most particularly three commercial pelagic species: blue whiting, mackerel, and herring.
In the whitefish business, just a couple of years earlier, Framherji had received its very first own newbuild—the 84m length overall (16.7m beam) Akraberg, entirely designed and built on behalf of Framherji. To be sure, the equivalent process took place with the construction of the new Høgaberg, meaning two of Framherji’s current vessels were made from scratch on behalf of the company.
Full utilization of catch
When the new Akraberg arrived, in mid 2022, it introduced a new generation of freezer trawlers in the Faroe Islands and was hailed as one of the most advanced of its kind in the entire world, packed with top-notch technology and gear, and some of the most sophisticated and energy efficient engine components. Much like the older trawler of the same name that it replaced, the Akraberg targets cod and haddock alongside flatfish, as well as shrimp, in the distant waters of the Barents Sea.
As for the much smaller freezer longliners Stapin and Jógvan I, these target cod and other whitefish in domestic waters but to some extent also in foreign waters such as off Iceland and in the Flemish Cap. Here, yet another newbuild—a 50.3m long (beam 13.2m) freezer longliner—has recently been commissioned, according to Framherji co-founder and managing partner Anfinn Olsen. This will be a replacement of the Stapin, the oldest vessel in Framherji’s fleet. Under construction by Norway’s Stadyard, and designed by Sirius Design in close collaboration with Framherji and Stadyard, the new freezer longliner is expected for delivery in the summer of 2028.
The Stapin replacement will have a 300-tonne capacity freezer hold and a 150-tonne capacity ensilage tank, according to Mr. Olsen.
“The current Stapin is a very good boat for its age but it was built in 1988,” he said. “The new one will be much more modern, will have a higher degree of fuel efficiency, for example, and will be fitted with the latest technology and will also offer better crew comfort. It will be more environmentally friendly with less emissions and will be equipped with an ensilage system for full utilization of all of the catch, somewhat similar to the ensilage system on the Akraberg.”
Tough demands
“We’ve had excellent fishing for several years straight and then 2025 became exceptional in result of good market prices as well,” Mr. Olsen said. “This was pretty much across the board, from the pelagic to the whitefish to the saithe business.”
“Now this season will likely see activities cool down somewhat,” he added, “owing to reduction in catch quotas, in particular for blue whiting and mackerel but also for Barents Sea cod. We will adapt to change as necessary—in fact, we’re used to that. However, these cutbacks coincided with the new Fagraberg joining our fleet, so we’re challenged to think even more strategically, perhaps in some new ways.”
Good cod prices may compensate for the reduction in the catch of Barents Sea cod but only up to a point. In the pelagic business, on the other hand, volume plays a more prominent role, especially when it comes to blue whiting. Framherji indeed has two top of the line pelagic trawlers, yet the latest reduction in catch quotas, not only for blue whiting but also for the more expensive mackerel, handed this fleet something of an unexpected blow.
The practical requirements for participating in the highly demanding blue whiting fishery in Faroese waters are tough, as Mr. Olsen pointed out earlier. “This particular fishery requires large and robust vessels with powerful engines and heavy gear—it takes place during winter often in rough seas,” he noted. “Besides, blue whiting is the largest commercial fish stock of the Faroe Islands.”
Framherji’s substantial fleet renewal investment over a few years amounts to an estimate total of 1.27 billion dkk (170M eur)—with the Akraberg (2022) at approximately 300M dkk, the Høgaberg (2025) at about 350M dkk, the Fagraberg (2026) at around 250M dkk, the Lerkur (2026) at 180M dkk and the new, not yet officially priced, Stapin (2028) potentially at 150M to 200M dkk.
“The conditions for running a successful fishing business are constantly changing,” Mr. Olsen said.
“The cost of fuel can be highly volatile, and catch quotas likewise go up and down; but we believe these investments are a good way of helping secure our continued success. To stay afloat and ahead in this business, to achieve the best results, you need top-quality vessels, gear and equipment.”
