Couple fishing in harmony off the coast of Ólafsvík

“My wife and I are in sync — and we fish well,” says Ómar Marísson, a fisherman from Ólafsvík. Marísson operates the coastal fishing boat Rakel SH 700, and on board with him is his wife, Ingibjörg Steinþórsdóttir. The couple has been fishing together for years and knows the rhythm of the sea — and each other — well.

Coastal fishing began earlier this week, with around 100 boats departing from the ports of Snæfellsbær. From Ólafsvík, it's just a short trip — 1 to 2 nautical miles — to reach productive fishing grounds.

Not far to the fishing grounds

“On Tuesday we were fishing at Grundarfjarðarbrún, about 3–4 nautical miles from Ólafsvík. We set out at noon and were back by dinner with the 774 kilograms, which is the permitted daily catch,” says Marísson. “Most who went out that day reached their quota with ease.”

While he spoke, Marísson was deftly working his hook-and-line gear as Alfons Finnsson, a local fisherman and Morgunblaðið reporter, passed by aboard his own boat, Svava SH.

“The fish that arrive early in the spring are especially beautiful and in high demand. The average market price is about 500 krónur per kilo, which is enough to make coastal fishing a decent seasonal livelihood,” he explains. “As the summer progresses, the fish are likely to move further offshore, and we’ll likely follow them — maybe even row from Bolungarvík, though nothing’s been decided yet.”