Category: News

In an article sent to Morgunblaðið on 14 October. Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson thanks Sigurjón Þórðarson for an article in Morgunblaðið on October 7. The reason for Sigurjón's article is news on Matís' website from 29 September following the successful World Seafood Congress event. Matís' news does not mention records or use adjectives at the top level. The news item on Matís' website points out that the export value per kg of cod catch has increased by more than 350% since 1981. Sigurjón rightly points out that the price of cod fillets in the UK market has risen more at the same time. Below is Arnljót Bjarki's more detailed answer to Sigurjón's article.

The news item on Matís' website also traces the development of value creation in the fisheries sector from 2003-2016. In 2003, a strategic decision was made to increase the value of seafood (ACP) through research and development; place more emphasis on the value of products than the quantity of raw materials. In this context, a sensible environment for resource management is certainly important. On the other hand, it is our opinion that the emphasis on processing and the value chain is much more effective for society. Therefore, the article on Matís' website did not discuss a quota system.

Project financing is primarily through competition funds, such financing is classified as special income and the proportion of Matís' special income is high in relation to similar units in Iceland. The financing of Matís' operations is Sigurjón's idea and it is good. It would be desirable for more members of the Althingi, current, former and future, to show similar interest. The state's budget through a service agreement with Matís, based on funding for Food Research, was ISK 435 million in 2016. Of taxes and public fees paid, 80 million remained. Matís' special income in 2016 amounted to ISK 1,180 million. Of this, ISK 481 million was raised from international competition funds and ISK 252 million from domestic competition funds. It is hardly necessary to mention that Matís' success in attacking international competition funds, e.g. Horizon 2020 plan, is considered remarkable. Among our partners in international research projects are the National Association of Small Boat Owners, the Association of Companies in the Fisheries Sector, the University of Iceland and the Marine Research Institute, the Marine and Water Research and Consulting Institute. The conference and its side events were funded in extensive collaboration as can be seen on the website WSC2017. 

Investment in innovation is a prerequisite for progress in the food industry. Unfortunately, investment in innovation in the European food industry is only half that of the US food industry and a third, compared to Japan. It takes a lot to stay gone, let alone be a leader in an ever-changing world. It is true that the fisheries sector, fish processing in particular, is behind other food industries worldwide, although the actions of the Icelandic fisheries sector are taken in many parts of the world, as discussed at the recent conference. In this light, the Norwegian demand and Faroese in Icelandic knowledge and technology in the field of fisheries.

Innovation in the fisheries sector includes improved catch management, new cooling methods, automation, innovations in product range and new ways of marketing. All of these are examples of methods that have affected the value of Icelandic cod fillets in the British market since 1981. That year, a significant part of the cod was exported intact, without any processing. The condition of the raw material was often deficient. What was done in Iceland was exported largely block-frozen. Today, a significant proportion of cod products exported to the UK, under controlled conditions, are fresh fillet pieces that have been treated well through the value chain. This is one of the key reasons why prices in the UK consumer market have risen, as can be seen. 

Icelanders have been bulky with their seafood for a long time, so developments in the Icelandic fishing industry as well as processing have affected the product range and prices in the British market. When more was put into quantity than quality, it was common for fishing vessels to sail with catch and sell as such on auction markets in British ports, then even 12-14 days old, now it is more about fish being filleted and trimmed in Iceland and even sliced into fillet pieces, thanks to Icelandic technological developments (eg Marel and competitors), for transport, under controlled conditions, to the UK. In this way, Icelandic seafood can get closer to consumers after they leave the country. Filleting in Iceland and the development of product composition exported from the country have an effect on price development and value creation. It is respectful to review data from foreign institutions. Although the author is not an economist, it can be seen that the most accessible data from the UK Statistics Office on fish show the retail price development of fish fillets, which is not the same as the import price in the UK or the export price from Iceland. The value of the British pound sterling changed in 2016 against other currencies, which may affect the retail price of food. Currency developments are different and they are of different ages and unstable. Certainly the price development of fish fillets is an important factor in the price development of cod products. Retail fish fillets in the UK have changed in the last 35 years Less is said about old fish being stuffed in the store, although there is something about fish fillets being translated up in stores, and fish fillets still being sold frozen in the UK, there are now more fillet pieces have been imported as such refrigerated from Iceland. Fish fillets that were processed in the same way as happened and went 35 years ago would not be sold at the same price as fish fillets that are treated with the elements that are common today. If we look at individual markets, we must not forget that Icelandic cod products are imported from here directly to three continents, then we can look at price developments (seafood index) in other markets. The difference between the development of value creation from all Icelandic cod products and the price development of cod fillets in retail in the UK market can be partly explained by the fact that food raw materials have not moved as much everywhere.

Commodity prices (e. Commodity) has changed more slowly than specialty products such as fillets. World Bank Food Price Index (e. World Bank) rose by 38% from 1981 to 2016. Food Price Index of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) increased by 51% at the same time at current prices. Looking at fish prices in particular, world fish prices have increased by more than 51% from 2003 to 2016, while having fish fillets in the UK increased by 57%. At the same time, the export value of Icelandic seafood has increased by 145% in SDR, from 0.53 SDR / kg catch to 1.3 SDR / kg catch as reported in Matís news. Thanks to developments that have been driven, among other things, by co-operation between Icelandic fisheries companies and associations, educational institutions, Matís, industrial companies and other stakeholders in the fisheries sector. 

In order for the Icelandic economy to be successful, Matís has invested heavily in cultivating human resources, including through collaboration with Icelandic universities, a collaboration that will hopefully be able to be financed in the future, despite the announced cuts in the 2018 budget proposal. It is necessary to have good data to build on when making decisions. Too often it must be pointed out that the third most valuable fish species in Iceland's export figures is other catches. With usable data in the queue, let's discuss issues openly, without shouting, and put them in context. For example, what are the effects of stopping saving valuables and meeting needs instead? How can we still improve co-operation and co-ordination between Icelandic parties? Matís' co-operation with stakeholders in the fisheries sector over the years, not least the National Association of Small Boat Owners, has yielded results in catch management and value creation. Now we need to look to the future and move even further in the field of value creation based on the knowledge and resources of the sea around Iceland and around the world.

The budget bill, which was presented on 12 September, sets out a plan to reduce the state's funding for food research (Matís) by 51 million over the next two years, from 441 million to 390 million. This is contrary to the need for innovation in agriculture and fisheries throughout the country and will prove to be a short-lived warm-up for the Treasury, as Matís' operations have been successful and have brought great benefits to society. Taking into account tax payments and social security contributions, only about 80 million of the 435 million that the service agreement for food research returned to Matís in 2016 remained.

It is worth mentioning that in the summer of 2017, Matís' management took austerity measures to prevent losses in the current year, as solid operations have been a priority for Matís from the beginning. Following the austerity measures, it looked as if Matís could vigorously support growth in the bioeconomy. The announced cuts are expected to damage Matís' ability to serve its statutory role in increasing value creation, food security and improving public health.

Matís' special income in 2016 amounted to ISK 1,180 million. The state's investment in food research is necessary to counteract competition funds, but for every ISK the state contributes to food research, Matís' ambitious employees receive ISK 2.6 in special income, with foreign competition funds, such as Horizon 2020, which returned Matís ISK 481 million in 2016 and ISK 481 million. innovation society even more. If we look at the public funds that Matís has left over after paying taxes and public fees (80 million), it seems that Matís' employees have managed to return that investment fivefold by investing in foreign funds and tripling the amount with domestic grants. at the same time. Such a return would be good for most investors, not to mention the impact that Matís' research projects have on society throughout the country.

An example of an international project that benefits the Icelandic research community is FarFish, which Matís attended in Horizon 2020 in 2016. Matís leads the project and one of the important partners is the United Nations University School of Fisheries (UNUFTP). The UNUFTP, hosted by the Marine Research Institute, is expected to generate € 279,000 in the coming years, equivalent to 69% of the expected revenue of the Marine Research Institute, the Marine and Water Research and Consulting Agency from Horizon 2020 research and development projects funded.  

Instead of cutting the state's investment in food research and thus stifling Matís' ambitious pursuit of international competition funds, it would be more sensible to increase the investment to strengthen Matvælaland, as Iceland can be, and to preserve our food resources.

Are you interested in climate issues and want to contribute? Take part in a 24-hour hack on climate issues on October 27. in Matís (3rd floor). The Climathon / Climate Marathon is a 24-hour climate innovation challenge held simultaneously in 237 cities around the world. You will work hard for 24 hours. to implement new ideas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution. The jury selects the best solutions and awards prizes.

The Climate Marathon is a competition that is open to everyone. People can register as individuals, groups, students, entrepreneurs and anyone who cares about the climate. Electric atmosphere, healthy food, inspired workshops, group discussions, a relaxed atmosphere and sleeping areas and a number of unexpected events await the participants. Dagur B. Eggertsson starts the climate marathon with a motivational speech at 13:00 on October 27.

The event on Facebook

Sign up for the game here

Looking forward to seeing you! 

At a recent meeting of the Large Ocean Nations Forum on Blue Growth on 3 October, Høgni Hoydal, Minister of Fisheries of the Faroe Islands, and Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, signed a Letter of Intent. 

The meeting was organized by the Faroese Ministry of Fisheries, the Nordic Council of Ministers and NORA. In the last two years, there has been more and more discussion about sea areas that belong to nations and their states, rather than the area of the area that rises from the sea.

^{Høgni Hoydal, Minister of Fisheries of the Faroe Islands, and Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís.}

One year earlier, a committee had reviewed the review of fisheries management in the Faroe Islands report. By its nature, more than fisheries management alone was discussed, and the report examines the diversity of the fisheries sector, the goals and potential benefits of fishing, processing, distribution and sale of seafood through the use of innovation and traceability.

In line with the report's proposal that the Faroese government, together with the Faroese economy, make every effort to make education and research in food production a priority in the Faroe Islands. In this connection, the idea was moved to explore the benefits of establishing a food research unit in the Faroe Islands with Matís as a model.

The declaration of intent signed last week underlines the plans of the Directorate of Fisheries in the Faroe Islands and Matís in Iceland to work together to increase value, food security and public health among large ocean nations.

The collaboration will be further developed through collaborative projects. Emphasis is placed on increasing value creation, based on the utilization of science and innovation, in Faroese fisheries companies and further strengthening scientific collaboration between Faroese, Icelandic and international research and industry. The co-operation will support the goals of the recently announced plans for reform in the Faroese fisheries sector.

Opportunities for communities and threats to lifestyles in the Arctic are being discussed at Hingborður Norðurinn this year as in previous years. In connection with the conference, there are many interesting events, including one that deals with entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development.

In connection with the Arctic Circle, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Arctic Economy Council are hosting a Break-Out Session on economic development, innovation and entrepreneurship in the Arctic. The side event will take place in Kaldalón in Harpa on Friday 13 October between 16:15 and 17:45.

The role of Nordic co-operation in changes within the Arctic economies, the analysis of Arctic trade and the attitudes of indigenous peoples to Arctic business development will be discussed. Róbert Guðfinnsson from Genís will talk about what is needed to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the Arctic, Stephen Hart, from the European Investment Bank, will present the financing of business development and investments in the Nordic region in terms of opportunities, needs and demands, Thomas Westergaard from Hurtigruten, will talk about the role of Nordic cuisine as a competitive advantage in tourism in the Arctic, and Sveinn Margeirsson from Matís will discuss the role of the bioeconomy in promoting sustainable growth in the Arctic.

Finally, Tero Vauraste, Chairman of the Arctic Chamber of Commerce, will discuss how to move forward with the Arctic Business Development Plan.

Related to this, Matís is a participant in the ClimeFish project, which aims to support sustainable fisheries, enable an increase in production within European aquaculture, facilitate economic and regional development within the industries, and develop forecasting models and decision-making tools to respond to climate change in collaboration with stakeholders.

Interested parties are encouraged to attend and participate in exciting discussions.

At the end of next year, the Nordic project "Conservation and processing of marine macro algae for feed ingredients (Capmafi)", funded by Nordic Marine Innovation, will be completed. Participants in addition to Matís are Eukaryo AS, Due Miljø and Akvatik AS from Norway as well as Tari-Faroe Seaweed from the Faroe Islands.

The main objective of the project is to develop a production process for separating certain components from large algae with membrane filtration equipment, preserving them and using them as added raw material in aquaculture feed. 

The main emphasis was on the separation of proteins, peptides and amino acids, with the help of enzymes. The production process was roughly based on the reduction of the algae in a concentrate with a wet mill. The concentrate was treated with enzymes in order to break down the proteins into peptides and amino acids. The concentrate was then treated with acid (digestion) to increase shelf life and aid in the breakdown of proteins. Membrane filtration then separated proteins, peptides and amino acids from the concentrate.

An experiment was carried out in Bodø, Norway, on a large scale, using membrane filtration to separate compounds. It went well and the recovery of protein and smaller molecules was promising for the project.

Before completing the project, the separation of polysaccharides will be examined.

Iceland, as a large ocean state, rather than a small island state, has great potential in leading value creation within the blue bioeconomy. "It is not enough that we use the resource very well, we create quality raw materials and let very little be wasted compared to other nations. Iceland's advantage in this field extends not only to traditional seafood but also to the utilization of marine resources for the production of food supplements, medical products and cosmetics, to name a few examples. Iceland's knowledge covers the entire value chain of seafood and our strength in this field is something we could make much better use of, as well as opportunities related to other organisms, such as algae, "says Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, in a recent interview with Morgunblaðið.

In the interview, Sveinn discusses the uniqueness of Iceland and points out how little other nations are able to utilize the blue bioeconomy: “The bioeconomy refers to the part of the economy that is based on living and renewable resources, and the blue bioeconomy covers all the living marine resources we use. The blue economy is underutilized in many parts of the world, from which less than 5% of all food comes, while more than 95% of food is produced on land - despite the fact that lakes and oceans cover more than 70% of the earth's surface. "

Sveinn says that Iceland's peculiarities are reflected in the fact that the proportions have been reversed and about 80-90% of all the food that the country produces comes from the sea.

Sveinn encourages both the government and industry to look very carefully "at using, for example, the knowledge that exists in the Icelandic fishing industry to greatly improve processing, fishing and marketing in many parts of the world." In all continents, you can find countries that have all the means to use marine resources much better and are in the same position as Iceland was 30 or 40 years ago. Participating in bringing the fishing industry of these nations into modern times would not only be a good business opportunity, but could also increase the prosperity of the country and the nation."

In Sveinn's opinion, Icelanders should “coordinate their policies in fisheries, foreign affairs and trade, and launch a campaign. Now is exactly the time, as it is predicted that the blue bioeconomy will grow enormously and that around the world a lot of money will be spent on this part of the economy. Iceland needs to be at the forefront of this development, otherwise there is a risk that we will lag behind. "

The interview can be read in its entirety on Morgunblaðið's fisheries website 200 miles away.

Education and knowledge sharing is an endless subject. It is necessary to practice continuous education and knowledge sharing about good catch management.
Hafsteinn Björnsson, who operates the coastal fishing boat Villa-Björn SH 148 from Rif, received recognition for Beautiful Fish 2017.

For the past two summers, Matís and National Association of Small Boat Owners held the project "Beautiful fish" where attention is drawn to the importance of good handling of catch. The project is discussed on the Facebook page of the project.

Among the actions has been a photo competition for the most beautiful fish, where participation consisted of submitting photos of good handling of the catch, this time it was decided to give Hafstein Björnsson from Rif recognition. Hafsteinn operates the coastal fishing boat Villa-Björn SH 148.

Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson, division manager at Matís, got out of town and visited Hafstein by the harbor at Rif to hand him a nice GoPro camera, so now we are expecting even more pictures that show exemplary work methods. Can be seen pictures Hafsteins á the Facebook page „Beautiful fish“.

Regarding the discussion of catch management, like so many other things, it is necessary to practice constant education and knowledge sharing about how best to do it. If people have good ideas about how best to deliver this important message, we will take it well.

This year, the project began with Matís and LS sending thermometers as well as educational material on the handling of catch to 1,000 parties related to the operation of smaller boats. All that could be heard was that people had taken a good look at the initiative and quite a few were happy to finally get a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the catch.

Matís and LS will of course continue to draw attention to the importance of good catch handling and even though the photography competition is over, photos and tips are always welcome.

An interview with Jónas Viðarsson at Matís was recently published on the news website Fiskifréttir about a change in the European Union's policy in connection with discards of fish. Matís is a key participant, together with the Association of Fisheries Companies (SFS), Hampidjan and Marel in the DiscardLess project, which is intended to facilitate the implementation of the discard ban that is being implemented within the European fishing fleet.

In the interview, Jónas talks about this policy change in EU fisheries management and the changes that have taken place in the general attitude towards discards. The European Union's common fisheries policy has clearly required fish to be thrown into the sea. "It has not only been permitted but also an obligation if the fishing vessel does not have a quota for it or if the fish is below the permitted minimum size," says Jónas. "It's just been their custom, and it's all according to the rules. But now that is changing. "

Jónas also mentions the special position of Iceland, which has a definite advantage over almost all other nations with a ban on expulsions. "Here, for example, we have the opportunity to land in this VS catch, for example. The catch then goes directly to the fish market and 80 percent of the catch value goes to research, to this VS fund. The crew only gets 20 percent and this is not counted against quotas, but this has not been very new lately. And the same is true with a lower limit, only estimated at 50 percent in relation to quotas, so various measures are now being taken to counteract this, "says Jónas.

European leaders and other stakeholders look to Iceland and other countries that have experience of working under a ban on expulsions, and therefore Iceland's contribution is important in the project, in addition to which Matís leads one work package and has a key role in several other work packages.

The interview can be read in its entirety on Fiskifréttir's website.

The MRI's risk assessment due to possible genetic mixing from salmon farming in sea cages in the Westfjords and Eastfjords was discussed at a large meeting hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Innovation last week. At the meeting, it was reported, among other things, that research has been conducted at Matís on the stock genetics of salmonids.

In attendance meetings on the MRI's Risk Assessment due to possible genetic mixing from salmon farming held by the Ministry of Industry and Innovation on 27 September, Sigurður Guðjónsson, Director General of the Marine Research Institute, presented the results of a new peer-reviewed article on salmon genetics in Europe: A microsatellite of European stock for genetic stock.Salmo salar L.). Sigurður is a co-author with Kristin Ólafsson who worked for Matís and was studying for a doctorate in salmon stock genetics. The authors of the article dedicated the article to Kristin's memory, but he passed away on March 22. Kristin's contribution was important for the technical development of the study and the analysis of Icelandic salmon stocks.

Results of the article, which is accessible here, show that it is possible to trace the origin of salmon that is caught in the sea by genotyping and see what it is from. The genealogy of European salmonids is outlined in the new article. Icelandic stock genetic research has revealed genetic variations between Icelandic salmon stocks and shown that each has its own special stock, but Kristinn published these results in a peer-reviewed article in 2014, the image below is from that article.

Olafsson, K., Pampoulie, C., Hjorleifsdottir, S., Gudjonsson, S., and Hreggvidsson, GO 2014. Present-day genetic structure of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) in Icelandic Rivers and ice-cap retreat models. PLoS ONE, 9: e86809.

At the meeting, chaired by Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr. Geir Lasse Taranger, from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet) on risk assessment in Norwegian aquaculture and a new so-called "traffic light system". Bára Gunnlaugsdóttir from Stofnfisk talked about the use of larger juveniles and late puberty. It was stated in Bára's case that the research results show that releasing hens are less likely to affect wild strains than releasing females.

Matís is currently working on a research project with the Marine Research Institute on the genetic effects of salmon farming on wild salmon stocks with a grant from the Environmental Fund for Aquaculture, which has been managed by Guðbjörg Ólafsdóttir, an expert at Matís. The project falls under Matís' professional emphasis on a safe and sustainable food value chain.