A conference on sustainable fishing in Iceland was held at the Icelandic Embassy in London yesterday with more than 60 representatives of fish buyers in the UK and interest groups within the British fishing industry in attendance.
Fishing boats in Höfn. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
Iceland’s Minister of Fisheries Jón Bjarnason addressed the convention and spoke about sustainable fisheries as practiced in Iceland, according to a joint press release from his ministry and Iceland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Dr. Kristján Thórarinsson, resource ecologist at the Federation of Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners (LÍÚ), gave a speech, discussing the plan of companies within the Icelandic fishing industry to label their products as eco-friendly.
Furthermore, Thorsteinn Sigurdsson, an ichthyologist at the Icelandic Marine Research Institute, spoke about the institute’s counseling on fisheries for the upcoming season with special emphasis on cod and haddock stocks.
For the past few days, Minister Bjarnason has been visiting the fish markets in Grimsby and Hull and Icelandic companies in the Humber area. The minister said that he had received a friendly welcome everywhere and sensed goodwill towards Iceland.
During his stay in the UK, Bjarnason discussed fisheries with leading parties in the British fishing industry and yesterday he met with his British counterpart, Huw Irranca-Davies MP.
Yesterday’s conference was the third in three years and was organized by Iceland’s Embassy in London and LÍÚ. Ambassador Sverrir Haukur Gunnlaugsson served as moderator.
Click here to read more about Iceland’s fisheries policy.
