A new regulation on grayling called for new markets and processing methods that have been quite profitable and job-creating. Utilization has also improved significantly, but in Iceland only roe was used, which amounts to about 30% of the total weight of the fish.
In 2010, the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture issued Regulation No. 1083/2010, which obliged fishermen to bring all grayling catch ashore after 2011. But until then, only the roe had been caught and the rest thrown into the sea. Before the law came into force, it was clear that there was no large market in Iceland for grayling. But with the great entrepreneurial initiative of recent years, it had been possible to build a market for grayling in China, where the National Association of Small Boat Owners and the export company Triton played a key role.
The price of grayling is rising
To improve knowledge of this underutilized species, Fiskvinnslan Oddi in Patreksfjörður and Matís applied for a grant from the AVS Fisheries Research Fund for the project "Improved utilization of grayling products". In the project, samples were taken from fishing areas from Skjálfandi and west and south from all the way to Faxaflói. This gave a comparison of grayling from different fishing areas as well as information on chemical and nutrient content as well as information on contaminants such as heavy metals. This is the basic information to sell your product and find a new and exciting market. Research was conducted at Matís laboratories at Vínlandsleið in Reykjavík.
China is a good market for grayling, as it is transported there by whale and all, but in that context it should be noted that the eggs are about 30% by weight of grayling and the whale with head and tail about 55% and of that the fillets are only 14% of its total weight. However, gutting for the Chinese market is different from traditional gutting and requires more complex handling and better working conditions than are generally the case in small fishing boats. Fishing and processing for the Chinese market have yielded value and new opportunities are created in many coastal settlements for production and export, in addition to which changed methods of gutting call for processing in a country that has been job-creating. It is admirable how well fishermen have responded to these changes by shifting their working methods to decades and adapting to the changes. Prices for grayling have been rising and are a good boon for grayling fishermen and create value in coastal areas.
Do not meet demand
Since 1989, the National Association of Small Boat Owners has collaborated with interested exporters, processors and, last but not least, Matís in developing processing methods and exploring markets for grayling products. Grásleppukarlar has followed on the sidelines with a positive attitude, including payment to the LS development and marketing fund that was used for these matters. The soil for change was therefore fertile and the harvest was plentiful, as can be seen in the current season with a 300 million increase in catch value from grayling fishing, which is mainly explained by the export of salted grayling roe. The export value in 2012 amounted to just over 2.3 billion, and it can therefore be assumed that the grayling will return more than 2.6 billion to the national economy in 2013. Market conditions are good and the outlook is good as it is still not possible to meet Chinese market demand.