Blue Whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) can be found all around Iceland especially off the SE, S and SW coasts although this is generally the young stocks. Additionally, the adult fish pass through the waters off the east coast of Iceland during their migration.

Blue whiting lives at various depths from the surface down to 1000 metres. Adult fish are most common at between 200 – 400 metres. They spawn mostly in an area to the north west of Scotland in March – April, although there are other spawning areas off Portugal, the Faroe Islands and SW Iceland. The fish can reach sexual maturity between 2 – 7 years old, and can live for up to 20 years.

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is responsible for advising the TAC for the Blue Whiting.

The EU, Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Norway have agreed to implement a long term management plan for the blue whiting fisheries. This plan will take a precautionary approach which is aimed at constraining the harvest within safe biological limits and designed to provide for sustainable fisheries. Negotiations culminated in an agreement which was signed in December 2005, whereby the total catch within coastal waters during 2006 will not exceed 2 million tonnes and be divided as follows:

European Union   30,5%   610,000 tonnes

Faroe Islands   26,125%   522,500 tonnes

Norway   25,745%   514,900 tonnes

Iceland   17,63%   352,600 tonnes