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The Fisheries Conference will be held at the Grand Hotel Reykjavík from the 21st to the 22nd. November. Matís attends the conference in various ways, for example, an employee sits on the board of Sjávarútvegsráðstefnan ehf.

The conference will feature 47 presentations in 11 seminars. The agenda can be found on the website of the Fisheries Conference, www.sjavarutvegsradstefnan.is

The board of Sjávarútvegsráðstefnan ehf. which is also a conference council are: Inga Jóna Friðgeirsdóttir, chairman, Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir, Erla Kristinsdóttir, Gísli Gíslason, Grímur Valdimarsson and Lúðvík Börkur Jónsson.

A booklet on charr was recently published, but Icelanders are the most active when it comes to charr farming. The Icelandic char is raised in the best conditions where sustainability is the guiding principle.

More information about char and char fishing can be found at the brochure and on Matís' website about the Icelandic char (in English). 

At Matís, we work hard to assist the business community and the food and biotechnology industry with leading innovations and innovation. The key word is value creation and is always worked with the aim of creating added value and more jobs in a sustainable way, for the benefit of society as a whole.

The institutions that merged in Matís had had a long and successful collaboration with various educational institutions, public bodies, companies and individuals, both in Iceland and abroad. Matís continues to strengthen communication and cooperation with these and other parties who want to work with the company to maximize the share of the Icelandic food industry. 

Matís has worked with numerous companies and research and educational institutions on research and development, and it does not go too deep into the years, although it is claimed that the position of the Icelandic food industry would be different and worse if the institutions that joined Matís had not benefited.

Through research, Matís intends to work to increase the competitiveness of Icelandic companies in the food industry and fish processing and contribute to creating this nation's most important industry, the place it occupies today. 

Sigurjón Arason, professor and chief engineer of Matís together with Arnljótur Bjarki Bergson, invite those interested in the fishing industry in Bolungarvík to a meeting in the Olís store in Bolungarvík at 10:00 on Wednesday 13 November.

The small boat fleet is important for the Icelandic fishing industry and returned a catch value of over ISK 22 billion last year, with cod worth around 70%. Proximity to the fishing grounds has strengthened the position of the Westfjords in small boat fishing, but the success of day rowing boats, especially at Ísafjarðardjúp, has been an adventure in itself. A strong cod stock in the future will further strengthen this fishery as well as value creation in the Westfjords and thus the income and quality of life of the population. Here, as always, you need to work hard to produce quality products.

In order to maintain the advantage of the West Fjords, research and development of the production must not be slackened in order to serve customers in the best possible way in the future. There is still an opportunity to improve the handling of fish coming from small boats with improved bleeding, cooling and hygiene. Hooked fish has become a demand in many markets, which gives this production a market advantage. With boats that land daily, it is possible to have perfect control over freshness in processing and proximity to the fishing grounds here in the Westfjords, ensuring a constant supply for production and safe delivery to customers. Environmental issues and origins from a fishing village as well as sustainable fishing will be of great importance in the marketing of marine products in the future.

Indra Nooyi, CEO and Chairman of PepsiCo. visited Iceland last week. Several Matís employees sat down with Indra and her closest colleagues and discussed PepsiCo's current collaboration. and Matís and the future possibilities that lie in closer collaboration.

PepsiCo. and Matís have had a successful collaboration for about two years. The collaboration is based on services and inventions that Matís can provide to PepsiCo., But the company is the second largest in the world in the field of food production.

According to Harður G. Kristinsson, Matís' director of research, the collaboration has become more extensive recently. months, but key employees PepsiCo. visited Matís twice at short intervals last June and July. Following this, a meeting was called with Indra Nooyi and her colleagues recently. week.

Matís is a proud partner of PepsiCo., As the company is run with social responsibility as a guiding principle, taking into account the company's owners, employees and the environment.

From the PepsiCo meeting. and Matís

Through a concerted effort by fishing companies, processing companies and researchers, the quality of the raw material was ensured, so that the 80% catch is now exceeded in the processing of products for human consumption.

Due to changed conditions in the sea off Iceland, mackerel has been caught in large quantities in Iceland for the past seven years. At first, most of the catch went to the production of fishmeal and fish oil. But with the concerted efforts of shipping companies, processing and researchers, the quality of the raw material was ensured, so that now the 80% catch is exceeded in the processing of products for human consumption.

In summer and into autumn, while the mackerel is caught inland, it is a delicate raw material for processing frozen products, as the mackerel is accumulating fat in the flesh after spawning. Therefore, it was a great challenge to find the best way to be able to use as much of the raw material as possible in freezing, which is more than twice as valuable as fishmeal and fish oil.

Matís' experts, in close collaboration with fisheries companies, worked systematically to strengthen knowledge of the physical and material properties of mackerel at this time of year. The companies' interest in increased value and further processing was great, the quality of the catch could be significantly improved with the right handling, so it was important to build up knowledge and skills through targeted research and measurements.

It was argued that it would not be sensible to catch mackerel at the time of year when it is caught in Icelandic jurisdiction, as the mackerel would then be very fragile compared to what it would be later in the autumn. It was claimed that mackerel caught at this time of year was an unusable raw material for human consumption.

It was therefore important that everyone put in the effort and used the best available technology and knowledge to create the most value from this difficult-to-handle raw material. The figures for exports unequivocally show that good results have been achieved, as more than 80% of the catch went to frozen products for human consumption in 2012, which returned almost ISK 20 billion to the national economy.

The most urgent task was to find the best way to supercool the catch and thus reduce the damage to the fish muscle due to redfish and loss. During the short time that the mackerel is in the jurisdiction, it gains weight very quickly and changes in the chemical composition of the muscle cause the muscle cells in the fish's flesh to expand rapidly and mackerel is therefore particularly sensitive to all handling.

At this time, a large portion of his food is eaten including redfish. Eating disorders contain highly active enzymes that can eat away at the stomach and damage the flesh. In order to slow down the activity of the redfish, it is very important to cool the mackerel catch below -1 ° C to prevent the mackerel from completely dissolving. Supercooling of food is cooling below the freezing point of water, but it does not cause freezing of food as ice crystals in food do not form until the temperature between -1 ° C and -3 ° C. The supercooling also means that the catch is stiffer and better tolerates snagging with further handling and reduces the release of the fish muscle. After freezing, it is better to store mackerel at -24 ° C than -18 ° C, but it is very important that the mackerel is stored at a constant temperature in order to preserve the quality of the products for as long as possible.

Matís' research collaboration with the fisheries companies has revolved around extensive research into the physical and material properties of mackerel, which have included fishing, time of year, handling, processing, freezing technology, storage and transport. Emphasis is placed on researching mackerel regularly throughout the fishing year, especially when it is most vulnerable. The results of these studies have yielded the above results in increased value. The effects of different raw material qualities on finished products, such as canned and smoked mackerel, have also been studied.

The best Nordic mackerel

Seafood is the foundation of our prosperity and it is therefore important that we have the skills and ability to create as much value as possible while ensuring that the food we produce is safe and of the best available quality. Research and development are inseparable from new value creation, although common sense and general knowledge are useful, no significant innovation will exist without research. Knowledge of freshness and properties such as, health and nutrient composition of seafood is the basis of marketing. We are faced with the fact that mackerel is caught in clean and safe waters, contaminants in food from our fishing grounds are within set limits, and this can only be demonstrated through continuous and targeted research.

The AVS Fisheries Research Fund has supported research and development work related to mackerel. Companies involved in the mackerel projects have made a significant contribution and taken a very active part in their implementation and management. Although we are just getting started, we are well on our way and the fishing companies that have tried their best to cool mackerel have benefited from the treatment of other pelagic species.

Good raw materials lead to new processing possibilities and in many parts of the country, companies are continuing to experiment with the processing of new products. Recently, hot-smoked mackerel from Sólsker, developed at Matís' food factory in Höfn, won a gold medal in a Nordic food competition. This is how the history of mackerel teaches us that with close collaboration between the research environment and the business community, which aims to increase value creation, we can do anything.

For further information Magnea G. Karlsdóttir, director of Matís.

The 26th volume of the scientific journal Icelandic Agricultural Sciences (old Búvísindi) has now been published and all the articles that appear there are also on the journal's website, www.ias.is, but the publication is in open access. Eight articles are in the publication and cover a wide range as usual.

The publication contains an overview article on new species of arthropods on trees and shrubs in Iceland, where the settlement history of new arthropod species is traced from the beginning of the twentieth century to 2012. It is a great benefit to get this theoretical overview because new species are constantly arriving in the country and some gaining a foothold. here. The other articles deal with ticks in Iceland, analysis of Campylobacter in chickens, effects of forestry on earthworms in Iceland, fungal infection of flax, potato mildew, methods for the analysis of kidney bacteria in salmon and the use of turf in vegetation in revegetation.

The publication is published once a year and contains only peer-reviewed scientific articles. It is one of the top-notch scientific journals and receives ratings from the Tomson Reuters Web of Knowlgede, now for the second year in a row. Last year, the assessment factor (ISI Impact Factor) was 0.562, but has now reached 1,750, which is a very good result and IAS is now high on the list among small to large scientific journals with which it is classified. Most often, these publications have IF 0.4 to 1.0. This is also a higher IF than other Icelandic academic publications have. This shows that the book is widely known and read and that it is quoted in other prestigious scientific journals. You can hardly get more motivation to write first-class articles in IAS, it is becoming more and more popular and articles are widely received.

This year, a total of 34 manuscripts were received, of which 8 are now published in the publication. The others were either rejected or did not have time to pick up this year's publications (two manuscripts) so the rejection rate is 75%. This high rejection rate is largely due to the fact that many manuscripts are received that do not fall within the scope of the publication, but some fall into the strict peer review that applies, as other scientific publications do. Four manuscripts are currently being prepared for the next issue and several are on the way.
 
The IAS Editorial Board would like to draw your attention to the publication and encourage people to familiarize themselves with these new articles. Manuscripts of articles in the publication are accepted all year round and are published online as soon as they are ready for publication. As several manuscripts are already being processed, it can be expected that the first articles in issue 27/2014 will be published online at the beginning of next year.

The publication is available from: Margrét Jónsdóttir, AUI, Keldnaholt, 112 Reykjavík (margretj@lbhi.is)

The publishers of the publication are:

Icelandic Farmers' Association
Hólar University
Agricultural University of Iceland
State Land Reclamation
Matís
Forestry Research Station, Mógilsá
University of Iceland Laboratory of Pathology, Keldur
Veiðimálastofnun

Editorial Board IAS

Þorsteinn Guðmundsson (editor in chief)
Bjarni Diðrik Sigurðsson
Sigurður Ingvarsson

Fjöregg MNÍ 2013 was presented for the 21st time at the conference of the Food Day of the Icelandic Food and Nutrition Association (MNÍ) which was held on 16 October.

Fjöregg MNÍ is awarded for a praiseworthy initiative in the food and / or nutrition field. Fjöreggið, an Icelandic glass artwork, designed and produced by Gleri in Bergvík, has from the beginning been provided with support from the Confederation of Icelandic Industries. This year, more than two dozen nominations were received for Fjöregg and it was the conclusion of the jury that the following five parties were well deserving of receiving Fjöregg 2013.

• Friðheimar in Bláskógabyggð
• Laufey Steingrímsdóttir, nutritionist
• Matís food factories
• Saltworks in Reykjanes by Ísfjarðardjúp
• The store Mrs. Lauga

Laufey Steingrímsdóttir received Fjöregg MNÍ this time.

Opinion of the jury on Matís Matarsmiðjur

Matís food factories are nominated to assist new small-scale food production. Matarsmiðjar Matís offers individuals, entrepreneurs and small businesses the opportunity to engage in product development and start small-scale food production for a small rent. In this way, they save on investments in expensive equipment right from the start of operations. This provides a unique opportunity to continue testing oneself both in production and in the market. Special emphasis is placed on development in connection with local food and food tourism services.

More about Matís Food Workshops.

A workshop was recently held at Matís' premises in Reykjavík on fishing gear and catch handling (New technology for the Nordic fishing fleet: Fishing gear and effective catch handling). 

In addition to Matís, Havstovan in the Faroe Islands, Sintef in Norway and CATch-fish in Denmark participated in the organization of the meeting. The meeting was sponsored by AG-fisk (Working group for fisheries co-operation), which is a sub-agency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The workshop was attended by about 50 people from nine countries and included 19 lectures on recent research and developments in fishing gear and catch management. It can be said that the meeting was a great success and the relatives are convinced that it will be followed by a co-operation project involving experts from the Nordic fisheries sector.

Further information about the project and the agenda of the workshop can be found at project website. You can watch and listen to the lectures themselves Youtube channel Matís.

For further information Jónas R. Viðarsson director of Matís.

On Tuesday 22 October. An interesting topic was covered in Morgunblaðið's leader. There was a discussion about the Icelandic fishing industry, the progress that has taken place there, the opportunities of the near future and Sigurjón Arason, chief engineer at Matís and professor at the University of Iceland.

Matís received the kind permission of Morgunblaðið to publish the guide in its entirety.

Incredible progress in the fishing industry

The fisheries management system plays a major role in the huge increase in catch value

The great advances that have taken place in the fishing industry and the processing and marketing of seafood in recent years and decades have not been very high in this country, at least they have not attracted the attention they deserve. This is unfortunate because these advances are important in the debate on the organization of the fisheries sector in this country and the conditions it is offered.

In Morgunblaðið's interview with Sigurjón Arason, who was recently appointed professor of food science at the University of Iceland but has been working for decades to improve the utilization of seafood, many interesting facts were revealed about what has happened in this field in Iceland and what significance it has had. the nation's economy. Sigurjón points out that we have now stopped talking about waste and that now the raw material that was previously thrown away returns forty billion ISK per year. These are products such as fish oil, liver, eggs and heads that were previously given little attention but are now returning these huge amounts to the national economy.

The sizes at stake, however, are many times this.

Sigurjón says that the value of what comes out of the sea is about 280 billion ISK, but without the knowledge and skills that Icelanders have acquired, they only got about 150 billion ISK for the catch. And he mentions as an example that previously the salt fish utilization was 44% but is now 58%, in fillet processing it was considered good to have 42% utilization but it is now 50%, and in light salting the utilization was 42% but is now up to 70%.

Sometimes there is talk of the fishing industry as if it is only about shoveling the fish out of the sea and that knowledge and skills are nowhere near there. As these figures show, this is far from the reality.

Knowledge and skills in the handling of the catch are no less important than the fishing itself. But this knowledge and improved utilization of the catch did not come about by itself and it would not have come into being if there were not powerful companies in the fishing industry that have seen the benefit of working on reform and have the capacity to do so.

The Icelandic quota system has contributed to the great interest of fishing companies in getting the most out of the catch they have been authorized to fish and to catch it in the most efficient way and at the right time, which is also important. In this connection, it can be pointed out that Sigurjón Arason mentions that it is not a coincidence that many larger fishing companies stop cod fishing in June and July, then the cod is loose in the flesh and poorer market response than at other times. And he says that people need to be careful not to lose the cod fishery out of control, as he believes has happened the last two summers.

Sigurjón Arason Matís' chief engineer and professor at the University of Iceland

This is something that is inevitable to take into account in the current view of the fisheries management system. But in that view, one must not least look at what the fisheries management system in this country has achieved in recent decades. The huge increase in catch value that has been achieved is no coincidence and would never have been achieved if it had not been for a sensible system that promoted efficiency and effectiveness.

And since the opportunities to increase the value of seafood are still there, it is important that those who make decisions about the future structure of the fishing industry draw logical conclusions from history instead of ignoring this important experience.

Nobody imagined three decades ago that it would be possible to achieve as much success as is actually witnessed in these matters, and today there is no way to predict how much of the opportunities that await in the sea around the country can return to the economy if things are right. .

The only thing that experience has taught us and can be asserted is that by maintaining a sensible fisheries management system and reversing the path of evil that the last government market, it is possible to achieve enormous economic success for the national economy. These are variables that can have a significant impact on the quality of life of all Icelanders within a few years and decades.

For further information Sigurjón Arason, Matís' chief engineer.