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 |
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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.