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The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture has published the reports Monitoring in Iceland; mapping and vision and Development of research infrastructure in Iceland for the future.
The reports were prepared for the Science and Technology Policy Council by a project group on research infrastructure and monitoring, which was chaired by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources.
In the spring of 2014, the Science and Technology Policy Council commissioned the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture to establish a project group on research infrastructure and monitoring (see Action 3.3 in the Science and Technology Policy Council's Policy and Action Plan 2014-2016). The group was intended to discuss research infrastructure and map public monitoring projects and to submit proposals on a) how monitoring projects can be prioritized, b) how Iceland can meet international monitoring obligations, c) whether it is possible to increase efficiency in arrangements. monitoring and (d) how to secure funding for long-term monitoring projects.
The European Food Safety Authority and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are holding a conference on the fight against antibiotic resistance on Monday 15 May 2017 at 13:30 - 16:30 in the lecture hall of Icelandic Genetics at Sturlugata 8 in Reykjavík.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the main threats to public health, food security and development in the world today, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Mortality from multi-susceptible bacteria has increased and it is estimated that infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria already cause around 700 thousand deaths worldwide each year, of which 25 thousand in Europe. What is the status of antibiotic resistance in Iceland and in Europe and how can a further increase in drug-resistant bacteria be prevented?
Icelandic seafood has long been marketed so that emphasis has been placed on its purity and wholesomeness. However, it is not enough to claim that a product is healthy. High-quality and well-defined scientific data on undesirable substances in Icelandic seafood are key factors in demonstrating the status of Icelandic seafood in terms of safety and health. Icelandic food exports also depend on being able to demonstrate their safety, taking into account laws, regulations and market requirements.
During the period 2003-2012, Matís collected data for systematic monitoring of undesirable substances in seafood from the resource, and the results of this monitoring for each year were compiled and published in a report in English. These reports are open to everyone and accessible on Matís' website. This continuous monitoring of contaminants in seafood was seen as an important part of securing Iceland's interests in the export of marine products and the resulting income. In recent years, Matís has not received funding to continue working on this monitoring project, so there has been a break in this important data collection as well as the publication of results in the period 2013-2016. It is therefore particularly gratifying that a service agreement has now been concluded between the Ministry of Employment and the Ministry of Innovation and Matís to resume systematic monitoring of undesirable substances in seafood from the resource.
The project began in March 2017 and aims to take samples of the main key export species of Icelandic seafood and measure the concentration of undesirable substances such as various dioxins, PCBs, pesticides and heavy metals in them. Scientific data of this kind from an independent researcher on the concentration of undesirable substances in seafood is very important in market presentations of seafood for potential buyers and strengthens all marketing work for Icelandic seafood. The data are also used to demonstrate the status of Icelandic seafood in terms of safety and health, as well as in food risk assessments.
Further information is provided by dr. Helga Gunnlaugsdóttir.
The first three articles in issue 30/2017 of the international scientific journal Icelandic Agricultural Sciences were coming out. These three very interesting articles cover different topics and can be accessed HERE.
The first article is called in Icelandic "Reasons for distortion, genetic improvement and changes in genetic adherence to meat food and immeasurability in the Icelandic sheep population"And is by Jón Hjalta Jónsson and Ágúst Sigurðsson.
The authors examined whether breeding evaluation for meat evaluation characteristics in Icelandic sheep was distorted due to selection based on reviews of live lambs. They also examined the effects of selection on the genetic makeup of fats and the type of slaughter lambs and genetic progress in the stock. Inheritance coefficients were assessed with data for the years 2000-2013 from the Icelandic Farmers' Association separately for different periods. The results of a breeding evaluation with a two-variable analysis of meat evaluation characteristics were compared with a breeding evaluation also run with unmeasured results. Inheritance was estimated at 0.41 in the years 2001-2003 but 0.29 and 0.26 for 2006-2008 and 2011-
2013. Breeding evaluation before type was found to be distorted in rams, which is put a lot ahead in the two-variable analysis, but no signs of phenotype were seen against the fat. Genetic improvement was estimated at -0.05 standard deviation of genetics per year for fat and 0.08 standard deviation of genetics per year before type.
The authors conclude that a diverse breeding evaluation and a reduction in genetic compliance can contribute to even greater breeding progress in the future. These are therefore very interesting results for all those who conduct research on sheep breeding evaluation and bring the results to breeders.
Article number two in the publication is entitled "Overview of barley breeding and cultivation experiments in Iceland 1987-2014"By Hrannar Smári Hilmarsson, Magnus Göransson, Morten Lillemo, Þórdís Anna Kristjánsdóttir, Jónatan Hermannsson and Jón Hallsteinn Hallsson.
The authors undertake the great task of giving an overview of barley breeding and cultivation experiments carried out in Iceland over a period of 28 years, from 1987 to 2014. Comparative experiments were carried out in 40 places in the country during the period, but the number of experimental sites decreased and the genotypes in each experiment increased. equalized as the season progressed. This is the first summary of the great experimental work that has been done in these 28 years. One of the most interesting conclusions of the article is that the yield in Icelandic experiments increased at the same time as the cultivation period shortened as the research period progressed. This can be due both to the good results of the Icelandic breeding work and changed weather conditions. Not only did the Icelandic breeding lines yield more yields in experiments over time, but they also matured earlier.
Cultivation of barley on the fringes of Arctic regions such as Iceland is on the verge of possible, which is reflected in the short history of barley cultivation in Iceland. The importance of barley cultivation has increased in recent years for Icelandic agriculture, which has been explained, among other things, as a result of tests on foreign barley crops and no less on the breeding of Icelandic varieties for Icelandic conditions, but also due to improving environmental conditions. The results presented here give a good overview of the history of the breeding project and are therefore important for ongoing agricultural experiments for Icelandic agriculture and can also be useful for other comparable projects in peripheral areas in the world.
Article number three in the publication is entitled "Stock of goose feed (Arabidopsis thaliana) from Iceland analyzed using cell genetics methods and genome sequencing"By Terezie Mandáková, Hjört Þorbjörnsson, Rahul Pisupati, Ilka Reichardt, Martin A. Lysak and Kesara Anamthawat-Jónsson.
It is not every day that a new plant species is found in Iceland, but here the authors report exactly that. The Latin name of the plant is Arabidopsis thaliana and it got the Icelandic name goose food. This new species was found in May 2015 in a geothermal area by Deildartunguhver in Western Iceland. Dried plants were placed in the AMNH plant collection and samples were collected for chromosome analysis and genome sequencing. There are now a number of analyzes from around the world of the genetic material of goose feed, so that the relationship between the Icelandic plants could be traced. Sequencing showed the most similarity to samples from Sweden, but with a low correlation coefficient. The conclusion is that although the Icelandic goose food is more related to strains from Scandinavia than strains from elsewhere, it has not originally been obtained from any of the strains in the collection of 1001 genomes of goose food from around the world. Samples from Iceland have now been added to the collection and although most of us find it most enjoyable to know about a new plant species in Iceland, experts abroad are probably even more excited about the sequencing of authors' research on the relationship of Icelandic plants to goose assessment elsewhere in the world.
Marvin Ingi Einarsson gives a lecture on his project for a master's degree in industrial engineering. The name of the project is: Fishmeal and fish oil processing on board freezer trawler (Fishmeal and fish oil production on board freezer trawlers).
Fishmeal and fish oil processing on board freezer trawler
When does this event begin?: May 3, 2017 - 3:00 p.m.
Event location: Matís
Further location: Room 312
In recent years, the emphasis on the sustainable utilization of marine products has increased significantly, and this can be attributed to an increased awareness of the value of by-products. The aim of this project is to submit different proposals for fishmeal and fish oil processing for new freezer trawlers, find start-up costs and evaluate the feasibility of implementation. Different technical solutions have been examined and profitability assessed. The chemical content of the raw material was analyzed, income, energy costs, other variable operating costs and fixed costs were assessed. The results of this project will be useful to fishing companies when estimating the processing time for fishmeal and fish oil processing for freezer trawlers. In this way, it will be possible to compare actual bids from manufacturers with the results of the project and thus obtain an estimate of the payback period of the investment.
In recent years, sustainable operations of the fishing industry has got a lot of attention. This trend is based on the fact that awareness of the value various bi-products, besides the fish filets, brings to the operators. The purpose of this project is to evaluate different types of solutions for fishmeal and fish oil processing on board freezer trawlers with regard to investment- as well as operations costs. The available raw material has been analyzed, revenues estimated and compared to variable and fixed costs. The results can be used to evaluate actual offers from system suppliers and by doing so
Supervisors
- Björn Margeirsson is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Iceland and research director at Sæplast & Tempra.
- Gunnar Stefánsson Professor at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Iceland.
- Sigurjón Arason, professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland and chief engineer at Matís.
Examiner
Sveinn Víkingur Árnason.
Iceland wants to responsibly address the problem of, if no action is taken, on climate issues, but in this context it is worth mentioning that Iceland became a party to the Paris Agreement before the end of 2015.
It is important to take advantage of the opportunities that exist to reduce the negative impact on the environment from our activities. In the value chains of seafood, much remains to be done regarding improved environmental impact from fishing and processing. Part of the improved effect of seafood processing is the electrification of fishmeal production in Iceland, but important steps have recently been taken in this area.
As reported in the run-up to the spring meeting of the Icelandic Fishmeal Producers' Association (FÍF), the company and Landsvirkjun have joined forces to promote the increased use of renewable energy in the fishmeal industry, as stated in a letter of intent from Jón Már Jónsson, Chairman of FÍF and Hörður Arnarson, CEO of Landsvirkjun. As is often the case in Icelandic society, the fish story often flies.
At an open meeting of the Marine Center of Excellence on sustainable utilization and protection of the ocean on climate issues - challenges and opportunities in the fisheries sector, on Thursday 6 April, the Minister for the Environment, Björt Ólafsdóttir, addressed the above-mentioned plans in opening remarks.
"A good example of success in climate change at the initiative of the business community is the electrification of fishmeal factories. There, the industry itself took the initiative to switch from oil to electricity. Everyone will agree on its excellence, in addition to the climate benefits, air pollution will be reduced and working conditions will improve with electrification. However, there have been glimmers of hope due to rising electricity prices. I therefore welcome the recent declaration of intent by Landsvirkjun and the Association of Icelandic Fishmeal Producers to increase the share of renewable energy in fishmeal production. ”
At the meeting, general satisfaction with the above-mentioned plans was revealed. Hörður Arnarson stated that in order for Landsvirkjun and FÍF to agree on the above-mentioned declaration of intent, a mutual understanding of each party's operations and operating environment was required. Hörður mentioned that fishmeal factories were a technically demanding business partner due to the nature of the operation and uncertainty.
Hörður also said that Matís' involvement had contributed to the conclusion that was reached in the end.
This is just one example of how, through concerted action, we can succeed in these matters as well as others and influence developments.
In this context, it can be pointed out that Landsvirkjun's annual meeting will take place today, Wednesday 26 April at 14:00 at Hilton Reykjavík Nordica.
How do Icelandic entrepreneurs develop their ideas and spread them around the world? Matís expert with a talk on intellectual property rights.
The Icelandic Patent Office offers a breakfast meeting on the occasion of International Intellectual Property Day. The breakfast meeting will be held in the Nordic House on 28 April from 8:45 to 10. Admission to the meeting is free but meeting guests are asked to send confirmation of participation at postur@els.is.
See more on the website The Patent Office.
The March for Science takes place in the center of Reykjavík on Earth Day, Saturday 22 April at 13. The aim of the march is to show solidarity with scientists and at the same time celebrate science as an important pillar in a democratic society. A meeting will be held in Iðnó after the walk where the dangers to scientific work and scientists will be discussed.
The idea for the Science Walk was sparked by scientists and science enthusiasts in the United States at the end of January, but will be held in support of science in Washington DC on April 22. The idea spread around the world and an international movement was created that will stand for similar tunnels in many countries. In Iceland, scientists and science enthusiasts are leading the march.
The movement's goal is, among other things, to draw attention to science as one of the pillars of a democratic society that serves the common interests of nations and promotes, among other things, informed decisions in the public interest.
The scientific process takes place in the shadow of the changes that have taken place in the environment of scientists and the scientific stance in decision-making in the United States since the Donald Trump administration took over in that country in January. The policies of the new authorities will have far-reaching implications around the world, limiting the ability of scientists to conduct research and share their knowledge and discoveries. Therefore, we face a possible future where people not only disregard scientific knowledge but try to completely eliminate it.
Science is more widespread than in the United States. In Iceland, there is a financial plan under the auspices of the government for the next five years, which assumes that the university system will continue to be short of funds and cuts in competitive funds next year. A number of academics and scientists have also been laid off from public universities in Denmark.
The purpose of the Science Walk is also to celebrate science, the role it plays in the lives of all of us, and to emphasize the need to respect and encourage research that contributes to our greater understanding of the world. That is why we need to protect science.
Science enthusiasts of all ages are encouraged to attend the walk. We will gather at Skólavörðuholt by the statue of Leifur Eiríksson from where we will walk down Skólavörðustígur and Bankastræti, along Austurstræti, over Austurvöllur and to Iðnó. There will be a panel discussion starting with short presentations from scientists, who will discuss the dangers facing science in the United States and beyond and its impact on the outside world.
Further information about the march can be found on her Facebook page in Iceland: https://www.facebook.com/events/608584169266237/
and the website of the international movement: https://www.marchforscience.com/
It is important to respect nature by utilizing wild species in a sustainable way. It is sensible to respect the raw material by utilizing what is extracted from the sea, making the most of the catch. Society is also respected by making the most of what is taken for processing.
The utilization of the fish caught has long been discussed. The emphasis has been on quality and the emphasis on quantity has diminished. Responsible management of marine resources has far-reaching positive consequences. Icelanders' access to marine resources has improved significantly and is now considered a model. Efforts are being made to handle Icelandic seafood.
Matís has, along Association of companies in the fishing industry (SFS), Hampidjan and Marel, be an active participant in DiscardLess the project led by the Danish University of Technology DTU from the beginning (March 2015). The project is intended to facilitate the implementation of the discard ban that is being implemented within the European fishing fleet. European leaders and other stakeholders look to Iceland and other countries that have experience of working under a ban on eviction, 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.
Among the measures taken by the Icelandic government with a view to curbing discards are flexibility in the transfer of catch quotas, the authorization to land by-catches outside catch quotas where the majority of catch value goes to the Fisheries Project Fund, rules on the proportion of heads of land processed by vessels in accordance with the cargo space of the popular vessels, such as the rules for landing grayling and obligations on the landing of cod liver, saithe, ling, anglerfish and anglerfish as well as cod and saithe roe (for grayling fishing). Increased emphasis on the utilization of catch for value creation has led to liver being taken into account when dividing catch value according to Art. share exchange system.
From March 6 to 10, the annual meeting of the DiscardLess project took place in Rome. The meeting in Rome was second annual meeting in DiscardLess and he marks that the project is now half over. From Matís, Jónas Rúnar Viðarsson and Kristinn Ólafsson took part in the meeting, which was considered to be extremely successful. The meeting was held at headquarters FAO and was attended by 60 participants and about 50 stakeholders who were involved in the meeting agenda in various ways. Iceland had its representative in the group of stakeholders, Kristján Þórarinsson from SFS, who represented the Icelandic fishing industry at the meeting and spoke on behalf of fishing companies that have operated under a discard ban for more than three decades. Kristján gave an interesting speech that attracted a lot of attention, where he explained the effects of the discard ban on the Icelandic fishing industry. What about a somewhat different tone than had been heard from his colleagues in Europe, who had complained a lot about the ban. Kristján argued that the ban was a great step forward for the Icelandic fishing industry and that it was in fact the duty of those who are trusted with natural resources to take good care of it.
Jónas went over some of the most important points that can be learned from the Icelanders' experience of the discard ban, almost four decades of tireless efforts to improve access to marine resources and increased sustainability. Jónas focused on the issues that are easily transferable and can be utilized in diverse fisheries across the coasts of European countries. Jónas also showed the development that has taken place off the coast of Iceland in the case of haddock. As well as proposals for improved facilities on board fishing vessels in the Bay of Biscay so that crews can make the catch and bring all the catch ashore.
Here is a very short video that refers to Icelanders' utilization of marine resources.
For further information Jónas R. Viðarsson professional leader in the Safe Food Chain.