Iceland Seafood Directory: Suppliers, Buyers and Products

Iceland's seafood industry at a glance

Seafood is one of the pillars of the Icelandic economy. In 2025, Iceland exported seafood worth ISK 359 billion, about EUR 2.5 billion, up almost 4% in krona terms and more than 8% in foreign currency. Cod is the most valuable species, at roughly ISK 155 billion, followed by haddock at almost ISK 42 billion. Pelagic products brought in about ISK 89 billion, with mackerel showing the strongest growth. Saithe, redfish, Greenland halibut, capelin, herring and blue whiting complete the picture.

Wild fisheries and quota management

Icelandic waters are cold, clean and rich in fish, and the country controls a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. Fishing is managed through a quota system introduced in the 1980s and built on the Fisheries Management Act of 1990, with catch limits based on scientific advice from the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute. The Directorate of Fisheries allocates quotas for each fishing year, which starts on 1 September. In June 2026, the Institute advised a 1% cut in cod, a 20% cut in haddock and a 16% cut in saithe for the 2026/27 fishing year, together with an 81% increase in capelin. For buyers, this means supply of whitefish and pelagic species changes from year to year, which makes it worth building relationships with several Icelandic suppliers.

What Icelandic suppliers sell

Iceland is known for fresh cod and haddock fillets and loins, often flown out of Keflavík airport to reach European and North American customers within a day or two. Frozen fillets, whole frozen fish and fish frozen at sea are also major lines. Salted cod (saltfiskur), dried fish (harðfiskur) and stockfish are traditional products, and roe, liver, fish oil and fishmeal add further value from the same catch. In the pelagic segment, Iceland supplies capelin, herring, mackerel and blue whiting, while langoustine and northern shrimp are the main shellfish.

Fish farming in Iceland

Aquaculture is growing fast. According to Statistics Iceland, farmed production reached 64,417 tonnes (ungutted) in 2025, up 17% on 2024. Atlantic salmon accounted for 58,717 tonnes and Arctic char for 5,141 tonnes. Aquaculture exports were worth ISK 53.4 billion, of which salmon products ISK 48.7 billion. Sea-cage farming is concentrated in the fjords of the Westfjords and East Iceland, while land-based farms operate in other parts of the country.

Seafood regions of Iceland

The industry is spread around the coast. The Capital Region hosts head offices, exporters and processors. Suðurnes combines fishing ports with the international airport. Vesturland and the Westfjords have small-boat fisheries, processing and fish farming. The north is home to large trawler and processing groups, the east is the centre of pelagic fishing, and the south includes the Westman Islands and the langoustine port of Höfn. With a free SeaMatch account you can filter the directory by region.

How to find seafood suppliers and buyers in Iceland with SeaMatch

SeaMatch presents 103 Icelandic companies listed on SeaMatch public directory, from public sources.

SeaMatch is a directory for seafood professionals. The Iceland directory lists companies from public sources, so you can see who operates in each part of the country. With a free account, you can contact the companies registered on SeaMatch, filter the directory by region, and publish your own products to be found by suppliers and buyers worldwide.

Frequently asked questions