Iceland review - 2016, Page 121

ICELAND REVIEW 119
The seventh annual Seafood Conference Iceland (Sjávarút-
vegsráðstefnan) returns to Reykjavík this winter and will
feature diverse topics, ranging from sustainability to tech-
nology. Taking place November 24 and 25 at Harpa, there will
be keynote speeches, presentations, seminars and breakout
sessions both days.
PLATFORM FOR THE INDUSTRY
The conference will cover a diverse group of topics on the
opening day, including Iceland’s foreign policy on fisheries, is-
sues regarding the Russian market, as well as Iceland’s policies
on processing and technology. There will be numerous breakout
sessions to attend during the conference, including topics on
fishing mackerel, production control, trends in sustainability, as
well as the latest technology in fish processing.
The purpose of this conference is to create a platform for the
seafood industry to meet in Iceland and talk about fish farming,
processing, harvesting, research, marketing and sales. The goal
is to focus on the key challenges in the field of fisheries and to
share ideas and encourage important, innovative work.
SUSTAINABLE FISHING
Iceland is increasingly recognized for its commitment to sustain-
able fishing and innovative processing methods. “The industry
continually looks for ways to improve efficiency and make better
use of energy resources and achieve a greater level of auto-
mation,” says Alda Gylfadóttir, chair of the conference. “The
overall aim is to increase the social responsibility of Icelandic
fisheries and this will be discussed at the conference.” What
makes this conference unique is the commitment to covering
all aspects of the fishing business in Iceland and to have a vari-
ety of speakers, including international fishing executives, local
business owners and thought leaders.
IMPACT OF QUOTAS
The introduction of the quota system presented major changes
to the industry and that continues today. Historically, the intro-
duction of the quota brought about a change in how fisheries be-
gan to look for ways to maximize the value and performance of
the sector. Additionally, there was a commitment to make use of
all raw materials and by-products. Sessions will discuss how val-
ue-added processing of by-products has been on the rise and how
these products are being used in food supplements and pharma-
ceuticals.
Registration for the conference began in October. Sponsors in-
clude Icelandair Cargo, Landsbankinn, Eimskip, HB Grandi, and
Icelandic Group. The conference is a must for all commercial fish-
eries organizations and associated businesses that deal in Icelan-
dic seafood. It is sponsored by TM Insurance and Oddi printing
company.
For more information on registration and the agenda, please
visit: sjavarutvegsradstefnan.is.
TALKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY
Seafood Conference Iceland is a
two-day conference focusing on the
Icelandic fishing industry, and will
include sessions on sustainability,
processing and technology.
SPECIAL PROMOTION
ICELAND SEAFOOD
Alda Gylfadóttir, chair of the conference.