Iceland review - 2015, Page 90

88 ICELAND REVIEW
Established in 1993 by Jan Thomsen and Laufey Jóhannsdóttir,
Danica Seafood Ltd. is a leading fresh fish distributor headquar-
tered in downtown Reykjavík, exporting Icelandic fish to the US,
the UK and mainland Europe.
Jan, the company’s managing director, who is originally from Den-
mark, worked for several years in the Danish fishing industry before
moving to Iceland with his Icelandic wife in 1985 and the young couple
founded Danica Seafood shortly thereafter.
FRESHNESS AND QUALITY
Providing the freshest and highest-quality catch to customers from all
over the world is a top priority for Danica. “We send daily shipments
to the US, to Britain, and to mainland Europe,” Jan explains. “We sell
all kinds of fish, but Icelandic cod and haddock mostly, and our busi-
ness has been growing steadily over the years.”
The company has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council
for its sustainable fishing practices.
SECRET OF SUCCESS
The key to Danica’s success has been the award-winning fish dis-
tributor’s strong relationship with its clientele. “A lot of the growth
within Danica has been with our initial customers,” Jan says. “We
grow along with our customers.”
A relatively small operation of eight dedicated employees, many
of whom are Jan’s relatives, Danica Seafood Ltd. represents some of
the best Iceland has to offer in fish distribution.
danica.is
WORLD-CLASS SEAFOOD
DISTRIBUTION
For over 20 years, Danica Seafood Ltd. has
exported Icelandic seafood to customers
around the world.
SPECIAL PROMOTION
SEAFOOD ICELAND
CONFERENCE 2015
From left to right: The Danica team: Guðjón B. Hilmarsson, Ólafur Jóhannsson,
Daníel B. Thomsen, Bergþór Júlíusson, Guðmundur I. Jónsson and Jan B. Thomsen.
SAFETY AT SEA
BY ZOË ROBERT.
PHOTO BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
Icelanders have always depended
heavily on the utilization of the
ocean’s resources, and fishing remains
of prime importance to the economy.
Life at sea has always come with inher-
ent risk but over the years, the number
of accidents has decreased significantly.
In 2014, 42 accidents occurred on fish-
ing vessels at sea off Iceland—a record
low—down from 89 ten years ago.
Safety initiatives, stricter regulations,
improved working conditions, better
telecommunications and surveillance
have all contributed to the trend. *