Iceland review - 2002, Page 66

64 ICELAND REVIEW
In Perfect Harmony
Fish forms the basis of the Icelandic economy.
Anna Margrét Björnsson spoke to the Minister of
Fisheries, Árni M. Mathiesen, about sustainable utilisation
of the ocean’s resources and the new fishing technologies
Iceland has to offer.
Iceland is the third largest fishing nation in
Europe, with 72 percent of the value of the
country’s exported goods coming from fish.
Iceland is in 13th place on the FAO list of
fish catches for all of the world’s fishing
nations, quite an achievement for a popula-
tion barely reaching 300,000 people. Could
Iceland be considered a leader when it
comes to fishing?
“The development of the fishing industry
this century has been very rapid, and those
involved in the industry have realised that
they must always seek new methods,”
explains Minister of Fisheries, Árni M.
Mathiesen. “The same applies here, in this
sparsely populated land, as elsewhere, that
ways must always be sought in the develop-
ment of new methods and in adapting fish
products to the demands of consumers
worldwide. Due to their proximity to an
effective fishing industry, the Icelandic
firms are amongst the leaders in finding
new technological solutions.”
Enjoying internationally established con-
tacts, Icelandic companies are in an excel-
lent position to establish trade connections
in marketing all kinds of seafood, world-
wide. “Icelandic seafood exporters have
managed to establish themselves at the top
of the market through their reputation for
outstanding quality of raw material and pro-
cessing standards,” says Mathiesen. “Rapid
advances in Icelandic fisheries have been
accompanied by the development of manu-
facturing and service industries that draw on
a long history of experience in the practical
needs of fishing and fish processing opera-
tions. Among the leading fields are software
products, electronic and digital equipment,
such as scales for on-board as well as land-
based weighing, and process control and
graders for landed or even live fish. A wide
selection of tubs, boxes and packaging, for
handling storage and retail of fresh and
frozen products, are made in Iceland, as
well as trawls, nets, trawl doors and fishing
boars, safety equipment and protective
clothing. Icelandic manufacturers have
designed and installed many processing
plants around the world for companies,
ranging from vessel owners to industrial
food processors.”
The quota system
Icelanders recognised, at the beginning of
last century, that their great wealth of
marine resources was not without limit.
They began their campaign to gain sover-
eignty of the country’s fishing grounds in
order to prevent excessive fishing from for-
eign fleets, a campaign which lasted three
quarters of a century. Since its satisfactory
conclusion in 1976, Icelanders have had to
adjust their own fishing efforts to the pro-
ductive capacity of the fishing resources
and their sustainable utilisation.
“In Icelandic fisheries management,
annual total allowable catch is decided upon
by recommendations from the Marine
Research Institute,” explains Mathiesen.
“This is based on a system of transferable
I N T E R V I E W : M I N I S T E R O F F I S H E R I E S
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