Category: News

It is clear that a large amount of data is collected during fishing and processing at Icelandic fisheries companies. This information is often used by themselves in later fisheries management, where specific species or specific units of catch are retrieved. There are also examples of companies using this data in margin calculations for fishing and processing.

This detailed data collection that takes place during fishing, landing and processing at Icelandic fisheries companies can then be used for further processing by regulators or as accompanying data with products to buyers or customs authorities.

The purpose of this document is to show what information is involved, where it is obtained and its flow between parties according to different fishing, processing methods and sales processes.

The document can be accessed here (best viewed in Acrobat Reader).

For further information Valur N. Gunnlaugsson at Matís.

At the beginning of the 2012/13 fishing year, a regulation came into force that obliges the operators of processing vessels to bring ashore some of the cod heads that are caught during processing in Icelandic jurisdiction. The background to the enactment of the regulation, the effect of the regulation on the amount of cod heads landed in the first two fishing years that the regulation has been in force and the possible ways for the fishing companies to meet the conditions of the regulation, are outlined in a recent report by Matís.

In August 2011, the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture issued Regulation 810/2011 on the utilization of catches and by-products. In that regulation, it was stated that vessels processing catch on board were obliged to bring cod cliffs and cod heads ashore. The regulation stipulated that from 1 February 2012, vessels should bring ashore 50% of all cod climbs and cod heads caught during fishing in Icelandic jurisdiction. As of 1 September 2012, the same vessels would be obliged to bring all cod climbs and cod heads ashore during fishing in Icelandic jurisdiction. However, this regulation met with considerable opposition from shipowners, who considered its objectives to be technically unrealistic and economically unreasonable. The Ministry therefore sought consultation among the various stakeholders and professionals to reach a conclusion that all parties to the case could agree on.

Subsequently, Regulation 1296/2011 was issued in December 2011 and the obligation that processing vessels should bring cod climbing ashore had been completely abolished and obligations regarding the proportion of cod heads that should be brought ashore with cargo space had been linked. of the vessels. According to the regulation, which entered into force on 1 September 2012, processing vessels with a usable cargo volume of between 600 and 800 m³ obliged to bring 30% cod heads that occur during fishing in Icelandic waters and freezer trawlers with more than 800 m³ cargo space was to bring 40% of incidental cod heads ashore. Processing vessel with a usable cargo volume of less than 600 m³ were, however, exempted from this Regulation. The processing vessels were allowed to replace the heads, to bring the corresponding amount of gels, cheeks and / or feet ashore or of other products made from heads on board.

There are various problems with the possibility of landing cod heads on at least part of the freezer fleet. There is very limited space on the mezzanine deck of most ships and therefore it is difficult to install new equipment for processing heads, the freezing capacity is limited and the freezing equipment is not suitable for freezing heads, the heads used to deliver raw materials that are unsuitable for further processing, storage space in freezers is limited, the workload on the crews is already high and it is difficult to increase it for the relatively limited financial return from head processing.

However, some parts of the fleet come ashore with some of their cod heads, and this proportion has been increasing in recent years. In those cases, the company has managed to adapt the processing to the utilization of heads without this affecting the processing of the main products. However, it cannot be seen that the regulation in question has had a significant effect on this development, as there has been a similar development between the vessels that are exempt from the regulation and the vessels covered by the regulation. This is simply a value that many shipowners see an opportunity to retrieve, regardless of the regulation.

The main problems when it comes to the utilization of cod heads on board processing vessels are lack of space and limited freezing capacity. Therefore, there are opportunities to work the heads with the aim of reducing the scope and then only the most valuable parts. Now, for example, there are machines on the market that can process the most valuable products from the heads, such as gels, cheeks and lumps. By taking care of these three head products, the volume of what needs to be frozen and stored in trains can be reduced by 65% and still bring more value ashore than if the heads had been completely frozen. For the current Icelandic freezer fleet, there are opportunities in such processing. However, there is a great accumulated need for the renewal of the freezer fleet to meet new demands and challenges. Although their importance in the Icelandic fishing industry has diminished in recent years, there will always be a need for these vessels in the fleet, and especially to seek more distant targets. It can be expected that the design of new processing vessels and changes to the old ones will take into account requirements for improved utilization of all raw materials, heads and other by-products. The renewal of the freezer trawler fleet is therefore of great interest to the industry and the nation as the owner of the resource.

Matís has closely monitored head utilization on board processing vessels and assisted fishing companies in looking for opportunities in improved utilization of by-products. When Regulation 810/2011 was in the process of being reviewed, Matís' experts came to work on formulating the regulation, and they have subsequently been involved in research and development in that field. The AVS Fisheries Project Fund supported small projects in 2012 to assess the impact of the aforementioned regulation. This project has been carried out intermittently for the past three years and was formally completed with the publication of a Matís report which can be accessed here. Previously, the project had supported work on Gísli Eyland's master's project in Corporate Finance at the University of Iceland. Among the products of Gísli Eyland's project was an operating model for processing vessels where, among other things, it is possible to compare the profitability of different options for collecting and processing heads on board. This operating model can be accessed here. Gísli Eyland's project was also presented TAFT 2012 (Trans ‐ Atlantic Fisheries Technology Conference) with poster which attracted considerable attention.

The AVS Fisheries Project Fund is thanked for supporting the project.

For more information Jónas R. Viðarsson at Matís.

The municipality of Skagafjörður has been named Iceland's quality destination for a project called Matarkistan Skagafjörður. The Icelandic Tourist Board named Skagafjörður, but quality destinations are selected all over Europe in pan-European project but a news item to that effect appeared in Kjarnan a short time ago.

One of Matís' most powerful offices is in Skagafjörður Matís Biotechnology Center is located in Sauðárkrókur. Matís' activities at Líftæknismiðjan are multifaceted. First, Matís has set up a specialized laboratory in the field of biotechnology and biochemicals. Secondly, Matís operates a pilot plant in the processing hall of Líftæknismiðjan, where the company Iceprotein ehf. has built up its operations. Finally, Matís' staff at Líftæknismiðjan works with companies in Skagafjörður and NV-landi on various improvement and optimization projects.

With Líftæknismiðjan, research facilities have been created with associated processing facilities where scientists and pioneers in biotechnology can develop their products and processing processes in collaboration with Matís. The Biotechnology Center's laboratory is working on measuring the bioactive properties of biomaterials from Icelandic nature. The biotechnology center is open to all Icelanders, and individuals and companies can have facilities there for a shorter period of time for product production. The workshop will be a kind of hatchery for new start-up companies in biotechnology and important in shortening the process from idea to market. By choosing the location of Líftæknismiðjan, one looks at the local area, which is Skagafjörður's food pantry.

Kjarnan's news about Matarkistuna Skagafjörður can be found here: http://kjarninn.is/2015/07/skagafjordur-er-gaedaafangastadur-islands-samkvaemt-ferdamalastofu/

The fishing industry's collection of terms that is now published on the web brings together various terms from the fishing industry and gives them a clearer meaning. Attempts have been made to do this with both words and pictures. The museum was originally created in connection with the project "Increased value of data. "

The collection of information in the project "Increased value of data" revealed that the understanding of individual words and concepts is difficult to understand and that the same word can have different meanings between parties. Obviously, there is nothing more important in communicating about great value than having a coherent meaning in words and concepts.

The customs register contains over 100 terms, some difficult to understand and others not used in the right context. There are repeated misunderstandings in the classification and product descriptions due to this. The glossary can therefore undoubtedly be useful in the preparation of product descriptions in the customs register and in the drafting of regulations and laws of the public sector, it can also make communication between business partners more targeted. This glossary will also be useful to employees in the fisheries sector, in the preparation of product descriptions and other communications where it will be possible to refer to the glossary as a source.

The glossary can be accessed here (best viewed in Acrobat Reader).

As this is the first edition of the collection, all comments are welcome and will be appreciated Páll Gunnar Pálsson at Matís receive them as well as provide further information if requested.

Matís plays a leading role as one of the most powerful research companies in the country, leading research and collaborative projects of companies and thus strengthening national knowledge, trusting value creation and promoting improved living conditions. Integrity is of great importance to managers and employees, whether it is integrity in scientific work and research or integrity when it comes to Matís' operations and financial management.

Growth has characterized Matís from the beginning. This policy has been systematically followed after the company has progressed in international co-operation between food and research companies, in parallel with the extensive services it provides in this country. Matís' share of foreign income is just over a third and has never been higher. Increased foreign income not only contributes to increased growth, but Matís' operating base will be more solid in the future with more ways of generating income. To date, Matís has mostly worked in European countries, but in 2014, successful steps were taken into the North American market that promise good things to come in the near future.

The benefits of Matís' operations for Icelandic society are unequivocal. The company plays a leading role as one of the most powerful research companies in the country, it leads research and collaboration projects of companies and thus strengthens national knowledge, trusts value creation and promotes improved living conditions. Despite its young age, the company has already demonstrated how effective research is in society in innovation, product development, value creation and better use of resources, to name a few. Good research has directly resulted in greater value for companies and the economy.

Matís not only rises to a responsible role in research and innovation in food production in this country, but increased emphasis has been placed on the part of the company's service that deals with food safety; monitoring and measurement of food. This service is valuable to Icelandic consumers and is becoming increasingly important for the export of Icelandic food companies as the demands of foreign buyers and consumers increase.

Matís enjoys professional as well as operational trust, which is best seen by the number foreign participation projects of which the company is a member and the leading role that Matís has in many of them. A number of foreign companies also make use of Matís' research services, which also testifies to the trust it has built up in recent years. This trust is also enjoyed by companies and institutions in this country, which in many cases are Matís' partners in foreign projects. It can be said that not only does Matís itself benefit from project participation abroad, but also opens doors abroad for other domestic parties.

By its nature, the operation of Matís ohf. in many ways different from traditional public limited companies, but at Matís the goal is to utilize the funds created to further develop the operations and increase project participation. The best measure of the company's success is not least the experience that is built up within the company, professional knowledge, the level of education of the employees, the number of research projects and the results in them and other measurable factors. They form a so-called knowledge index that has never been higher within Matís than now. This fact is yet another proof that managers and employees are delivering quality work.

Everything results in the aforementioned work abroad, powerful research companies in Icelandic society. Professional knowledge and experience created in foreign projects is used in other projects that Matís is working on in Iceland. In this way it can be said that the old adage is true that every way from home is the way home.

The Open University at RU in collaboration with the Association of Companies in the Fisheries Sector (SFS), Matís, other university institutions and the main research institutes in Iceland have established comprehensive studies for foreign managers and specialists in the fisheries sector with the aim of developing and deepening their understanding of the industry. 

The course will cover management in the fisheries sector, processing of marine products, marketing and the latest developments in technology and innovation in the fishing industry. 

Furthermore, fisheries management, regulations, research and monitoring in the fisheries sector will be discussed.

You can get more information about the course here: Iceland School of Fisheries. 

Further information is provided by Sandra Kr. Ólafsdóttir, project manager at the Open University at RU, sandrak@ru.is, 599-6342.

It is important to choose an interesting course of study when deciding on further education. There is often a lot of competition for jobs after higher education and not everyone who gets a job immediately after school.

Students who graduate from a master's degree in food science seem to be very successful in getting a job immediately after graduation.

The first graduating class in the master's program consisted of 11 students. Shortly after graduating, nine of them were given future jobs, or over 80%. The jobs of the food scientists were, for example, at Icelandic Group, Lýsi, Fresh Meat Products, Matvælastofnun, Ísteka etc. companies or institutions.

Of course, it is not possible to get a guarantee of getting a suitable job after graduation, but it looks good when it comes to a master's degree in food science.

Further information is provided by Guðjón Þorkelsson at Matís.

Interested individuals may have their eyes on advertisements from Matís this past weekend.

Recently, Matís advertised for an ambitious and dynamic human resources specialist on the one hand, and for a strong market-driven specialist on the other. The application deadline is August 5, 2015. A human resources specialist will work at Matís' headquarters, Vínlandsleið 12, Reykjavík. The aim is for the work of the market-oriented specialist to be carried out at Matís' offices, for example in Akureyri Höfn in Hornafjörður or Sauðárkrókur.

Further information about the two jobs can be found on Matís' website www.matis.is/atvinna and subsequently, qualified interested parties can apply for each job in the same place.

Rector of the United Nations University (UNU) dr. David M. Malone visits Iceland and the UNU schools that operate in this country this week. On Monday 6 July, Rector David and his entourage visited Matís.

Rector of the United Nations University ( e. United Nations University - UNU) dr. David M. Malone is in Iceland this week with Max Bond, Assistant Rector of the United Nations University, visiting the schools of the United Nations Universities hosted in Iceland. In Iceland there are: from 1980 Geothermal school ( e. Geothermal Training Program - UNU-GTP), from 1998 Fisheries School ( e. Fisheries Training Program - UNU-FTP), from 2007 Landgræðsluskóli ( e. Land Restoration Training Program - UNU-LRT) and from 2009 Gender Equality School ( e. Gender Equality Studies and Training Program - UNU-GEST) United Nations University. The operation of the schools is part of Iceland's development cooperation under the auspices of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The program of the good guests is packed. Matís had the honor on Monday 6 July to be among the guests' stops on the first day of their visit to Iceland with an escort. Dr. Tumi Tómasson, director of UNU-FTP, began the guests' visit to Matís with a very short presentation. Dr. Tumi outlined the main reasons why the University of the United Nations decided to focus on the fishing industry in such a way that a special school would be operated here that deals with the issue. In the big picture, there are great opportunities to take better care of what is produced, make the most of it, and at the same time the importance of seafood in the daily consumption of the public in developing countries should be considered.
Arnljótur B. Bergsson, Division Manager of Resources and Products, introduced Matís and how Matís has come to value creation in the Icelandic fisheries sector with improved utilization, better handling and development of processing processes, for example in collaboration with UNU-FTP.

Professor Sigurjón Arason, Matís 'chief engineer, spoke about the integration of Matís' practical research and development projects into studies, including UNU-FTP students. Sigurjón also reported on Matís' involvement in the drying of seafood in Iceland and the smoking and drying of fish in Africa, work that is carried out in collaboration with a well-known fisheries school. Sigurjón also told about four doctors who have graduated from the University of Iceland with the support of UNU-FTP in collaboration with Matís and two doctoral students who are currently studying. Sigurjón also pointed out a report written by a former UNU-FTP student and Matís' main experts in the field of food digestion. use of geothermal energy in food production and was published by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recently. Discussions arose about the sustainability of fishing, the cleanliness of the environment and the future intentions of the doctoral students.

At the end of the short meeting, the guests were shown Matís' facilities on Vínlandsleið. The guests found the facilities exemplary. On their way around the house, the guests were introduced to doctoral students Cyprian Ogombe Odoli from Kenya and Dang Thi Thu Huong from Vietnam. The guests encouraged them in light of the importance of the subject of their research.

Matís hopes for continued good co-operation with the schools of the United Nations High School that operate in this country and hopes that dr. David M. Malone, Rector, and Max Bond, Vice-Chancellor of the United Nations University, enjoy their stay and benefit from the visits.

Cooling is important all year round, but especially important during the summer months.

The cold month of June is behind us in this country, the public is hoping for a good summer in Iceland. In Europe it is now somewhat warmer than is generally the case, even at this time of year. In continental Europe, for example, it was recently expected temperature could exceed 40 ° C including in some of the main market areas of Icelandic seafood, as was the case. Although not as dire consequences are expected, in France this summer, and of the heat wave of 2003, it is still more correct to have waded below.

As before, quality catch management is particularly important, it matters cooling raw material matter. Importance cooling does not end even when landed. It is important to protect fish from deteriorating quality, especially those that are to be sold fresh or frozen from possible heat stress, in treatment fishermen, fish processors, carrier and seljenda. As before, handling, cooling, etc. on board is important, the qualities that may be lost on board are not restored ashore.

Insulating packaging is suitable for protecting food from heat stress. Packaging does not cool product. Refrigerants that accompany, for example, fresh / chilled food into the packaging are placed in the packaging to maintain the cold temperature of the product. It is important that the food is in the condition it should be when it is packed. That the frozen product is frozen at the specified temperature and the core temperature is according to definition and that chilled fresh foods are cold. The packaging of a product must take into account the conditions in the product's environment at any given time. If fresh fillets or fillets are to be transported to mainland Europe this summer, it is more important than ever this winter to ensure that the product is cooled and that adequate protection against heat stress is ensured. The quality of fish that is extracted from the sea is neither eternal nor final, it is the task of everyone who comes to preserve the quality as best as possible with careful and purposeful cooling, prevent them from being lost unnecessarily and promote their final arrival. consumers.

Cooling is important all year round, but especially important during the summer months. The name Iceland does not provide insurance to parties in the Icelandic fishing industry against heat stress. High-quality work methods for everyone, such as purposeful cooling, facilitate all marketing work permanently.