Top Blue Whiting Poutassou Fishing Countries

The blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou), also known as poutassou, is a small, silvery fish found in the North Atlantic Ocean, particularly along the European continental shelf and slope. It is an important species for industrial fisheries, primarily used for fish meal, animal feed, and increasingly for human consumption in processed products. The top blue whiting fishing countries are Norway, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the Faroe Islands, which together account for the majority of global catches. These nations operate large-scale trawl fisheries, often in the Northeast Atlantic, especially in areas west of the British Isles and around the Faroe Islands. The blue whiting fishery is one of the largest in the North Atlantic, with annual catches often exceeding one million tonnes, making it a vital resource for the fishing industries and economies of these countries.

Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.