President of Iceland: “What countries can learn about sustainable fishing in Iceland”

Iceland, known for its natural beauty and unspoiled wilderness, is seeking to highlight the importance of sustainable fishing across the world. 

November 15, Reykjavík: Fish is Our Story launches to promote the practice of sustainable fishing and how Icelandic fisheries are leading the way in terms of future approaches. The campaign is aiming to promote the importance of sustainable fishing amongst consumers internationally.

 “Fishing has shaped our cultural heritage, economy, and society. Since people settled on our island, we have relied on fisheries. We have caught fish, we have consumed fish, we have sold fish and that is why Fish is our story. The story of Iceland begins in the island’s cold, clear, abundant waters. Fishing has shaped our cultural heritage, economy, and society. Since people settled on our island, harvesting the abundance of the seas was a matter of adaptation and survival – we have relied on fisheries. To this day, fishing is fundamental to our culture, economy, and national identity. Pure and simple, Iceland is a nation built on fishing and that is why Fish is our story,” said Guðni Th. Jóhannesson.

With a long-standing tradition for fisheries, the industry has long been an integral part of the island nation’s culture and heritage. With almost every town in Iceland growing from a fishing village, the ties to fisheries run deep. And while every Icelander has a story that relates to fish, the story of Iceland is very much the story of a nation built on fisheries.  

The importance of fisheries in Iceland is reflected in both the quality of the product and the sustainable way it is harvested. Iceland has set the standards sustainably sourcing seafood with a progressive legal framework on fishing quotas set in the 1980s, for the benefit of future generations. Iceland has also been at the forefront of technological advancement in fisheries and fully utilizing the catch.  

“Most countries put important people on their coins. We put fish on it,” says one of the characters of a new promotional video by Seafood from Iceland. While Icelandic coins are gradually giving way to electronic forms of payment, the fact remains that fish has been not only the face of the Icelandic currency but also the biggest contributor to export revenues. Propelling a country that was one of the poorest countries in Europe to a modern and progressive country.