The couple, the lumpfish male (left) and the female lumpfish (right). It is mainly the female that is caught because of the value of the roe. What many people don’t know is that the male prepares the spawning ground before the female arrives to spawn. He then takes full care of the eggs, guards them and chasing away enemies as best he can after the female has left.
Photo: Svanhildur Egilsdóttir.

The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (MFRI) advises that the catch of female lumpfish in the 2025/2026 fishing year does not exceed 2932 tonnes. This is a 6% increase from last fishing year. The advice is based largely on the biomass index from the demersal fish stock survey in March 2026 but also from the survey in 2025. The biomass index in 2026 was higher than in 2025 but low in historical perspective and well below the long-term average. The last year's index was the second lowest since measurements began in 1985.

The biomass index for lumpfish fluctuates between years, which partly reflects the uncertainty in the measurements. Because of this, the index from the assessment year weighs 70% against the 30% weight given to previous year's index in the harvest control rule. Therefore, MFRI advises that the initial catch limit for the 2026/2027 fishing year to be 973 tonnes.

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