General rules on fishing licences
All commercial fishing operations require a permit from the Directorate of Fisheries. There are generally 1300 vessels and boats licensed by the Directorate of Fisheries for commercial fishing. In addition to general fishing licences, special fishing licences are issued for certain fishing activities.
General fishing permits are as follows:
Number of general fishing permits per fishing year:
Fishing year | 2020/2021 | 2019/2020 | 2018/2019 | 2017/2018 | 2016/2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General fishing permit | 311 | 334 | 353 | 377 | 400 |
Hook-and-line fishing permit | 804 | 817 | 795 | 800 | 844 |
Total | 1.115 | 1.151 | 1.148 | 1.177 | 1.244 |
Special fishing permits are as follows:
Cod fishing permit in Norwegian jurisdiction
Number of special fishing permits per fishing year:
Special fishing permit | 2020/2021 | 2019/2020 | 2018/2019 | 2017/2018 | 2016/2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlantic argentine | 19 | ||||
Blue whiting | 18 | 20 | 20 | ||
Coastal fishing permit | 687 | 677 | 29 | 557 | 607 |
Cod fishing permit in Norwegian jurisdiction | 6 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
Cod fishing permit in Russian jurisdiction | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 7 |
Common whelk fishing permit | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Crustaceans fishing permit | 3 | 5 | 8 | ||
Crustaceans fishing permit in Faxaflói | 3 | 3 | |||
Danish seine fishing permit | 39 | 42 | 48 | 50 | 51 |
Deep-sea redfish fishing permit | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
Flemis cap shrimp fishing permit | 1 | ||||
Herring fishing permit with midwater trawl | 19 | ||||
Infjord shrimp fishing permit | 11 | ||||
Lumpfish fishing permit | 182 | 213 | 250 | 221 | 259 |
Lumpfish fishing permit for hook and line vessels | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
Mackerel fishing | 74 | 107 | |||
Norwegian-Icelandic herring fishing permit | 16 | 19 | 21 | ||
Ocean quahog fishing permit | 6 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
Recreational fishing permit without harvest rights | 3 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 12 |
Recreational fishing permit with harvest rights | 35 | 36 | 37 | 39 | 39 |
Sea cucumbers | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 15 |
Sea-urchins | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Tuna fishing permit | 1 | ||||
Total | 993 | 1015 | 1052 | 1040 | 1224 |
Fihing permits of foreign vessels in Icelandic jurisdiction:
Fishing permit | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blue whiting fishing permit - Foreign vessels | 18 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 14 |
Capelin fishing permit - Foreign vessels | 78 | 82 | 83 | ||
Hand reel fishing permit - Faroes vessels | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
Norwegian-Icelandic herring fishing permit - Foreign vessels | 19 | 16 | 15 | 14 | |
Longline fishing permit - Faroes vessels | 14 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 17 |
Longline fishing permit - Norwegian vessels | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Total | 137 | 52 | 51 | 130 | 122 |
Service provider
The Directorate of Fisheries