Weighing and registration of catches

All catches landed in Iceland must be weighed in the landing port at landing. For weighing at the port, a certified weighing instrument owned by the port in question shall be used, and the weighing shall be carried out by a certified weigher.

The port weigher is to complete weighing without ice deduction if the catch is ice-free. If the catch contains ice, the port weigher may deduct up to 3% of the weighted catch as ice deductions or send the catch for reweighing if the estimated ice ratio is higher than 3%.

At the completion of the weighing, the relevant port authorities will register the results of the weighing in the database of the Directorate of Fisheries

Reweighing

The license includes that catch including ice that has previously been weighed on a harbour scale is weighed without ice by the license holder, and either the whole of the catch is weighed or sample of the catch is weighed.

The conditions for granting a licence are:

• A certified scale is used.

• Weighing is carried out by a certified weigher.

• Premises where weighing takes place is approved by the Food and Veterinary Authority.

• Equipment meets requirements for space for weighing, weighing equipment and facilities for separating ice from the catch.

The results of the reweighing by the licensee are sent to the port of landing which records the information in GAFL.

Home weighing

The Directorate of Fisheries may grant a permit for the home weighing of catches, and this includes an exemption from weighing on a port scale if there are significant problems with the weighing of the catch on a port scale.

Home weighing licenses are subject to stricter conditions than reweighing licenses. Such permits are only granted upon receipt of a positive review from the port authorities in the respective port, which are responsible for supervising home weighing license holders. During the weighing, an automatic scale must be used that weighs all the catch continuously, and there is a strict requirement for internal control for the licence holder/company. 

After weighing, the results of the weighing are sent to the port of landing that registers the information in GAFL.

Independent weighing permits

The Directorate of Fisheries may grant parties permits for weighing at port on the responsibility of and under the authority of the port authorities.

The conditions for granting licences to parties are:

• Not to have direct ownership of a fishing company or fish processing factory.

• Not to undertake or facilitate the sale of catches.

• Do not have such interests that can call their impartiality into question.