ATLANTIC HALIBUT
Hippoglossus hippoglossus
Publication of Advice: 6 June 2025. Published by Marine and Freshwater Research Institute.
Advice
MFRI advises that regulations from 2012 remain in effect that prohibits all targeted fishing for Atlantic halibut within the Icelandic economic exclusion zone and stipulates that all viable halibut in other fisheries must be released.
Stock development
MFRI cannot assess the stock and exploitation status relative to maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and precautionary approach (PA) reference points because the reference points are undefined.
Atlantic halibut. Catch by gear type, recruitment index (<30 cm) and biomass (>40 cm). Shaded areas and error bars show 95% confidence intervals.
Prospects
Atlantic halibut caught in IS-SMB has predominantly been 3–5-year-old immature fish. The abundance of these age groups has been low for about 30 years, and it is evident that there is a recruitment failure in the stock. It is therefore likely that the stock will remain low.
Quality of the assessment
The IS-SMB only covers the fishing grounds of juvenile Atlantic halibut, and there is a lack of information on the adult population. The survey indices have been relatively stable, and uncertainties around them are low.
Other information
A committee established in 2010 by the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, due to the poor state of the Atlantic halibut stock, concluded that the most effective way to rebuild the stock would be to ban all targeted fishing. The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute followed up on these conclusions, by consulting with experienced captains on what would be the best course of action to protect the stock. The resulting advice was to ban targeted fishing and to make it mandatory to release all viable Atlantic halibut caught as bycatch in other fisheries. Regulations from the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture that followed the advice were put into effect in 2012 (regulation nr. 470/2012).
Advice, TAC and Catch
Atlantic halibut. Recommended TAC, national TAC, and catches (tonnes).
Fishing year | Recommended TAC | National TAC | Total catch |
|---|---|---|---|
2010/2011 | No targeted fisheries | 595 | |
2011/2012 | No targeted fisheries | 186 | |
2012/2013 | No targeted fisheries | 38 | |
2013/2014 | No targeted fisheries | 49 | |
2014/2015 | No targeted fisheries | 50 | |
2015/2016 | No targeted fisheries | 113 | |
2016/2017 | No targeted fisheries | 112 | |
2017/2018 | No targeted fisheries | 133 | |
2018/2019 | No targeted fisheries | 124 | |
2019/2020 | No targeted fisheries | 141 | |
2020/2021 | No targeted fisheries | 143 | |
2021/2022 | No targeted fisheries | 175 | |
2022/2023 | No targeted fisheries | 200 | |
2023/2024 | No targeted fisheries | 182 | |
2024/2025 | No targeted fisheries | ||
2025/2026 | No targeted fisheries |
References and further reading
MFRI Assessment Reports 2025. Atlantic halibut. Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, 6 June 2025.
Reglugerð um veiðar á lúðu. https://www.reglugerd.is/reglugerdir/allar/nr/0470-2012.