The fishing quota for Grímsey island northeast of Iceland has increased by 400 tons since September, which lightens the mood of local sea men.
In August and September this year, 1,160 tons of the island’s fish quota were sold. Thereof 433 tons of fish quota were sold along with trawler Bargey EA, as Morgunbladid reports.
Now fishing company Kraekir in Grímsey has bought trawler Olli SH, which included 200 tons of fishing quota, and fish-processing company Sigurbjörn has added another 200 tons to the island’s fishing quota.
“People felt insecure about their future, as fishing is the only industry on the island,” captain and ship owner Gylfi Gunnarsson told icelandreview.com. “But now things are back to normal and people feel increasingly optimistic.”
There has been bad weather in northern Iceland lately, so it has not been possible to ferry fish from Grímsey to Dalvík for days, where some of it is processed.
“The ferry is our lifeline, without it there would be no life on the island,” Gunnarsson says. “But fortunately it counts as an exception when the ferry can’t make it to Dalvík.”
Grímsey is Iceland’s northernmost island. The Arctic Circle goes straight through it. It is only 5.3 km2 in size, which makes it one of Iceland’s smallest inhabited islands. Around 100 people live there.
