The Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture has released a mission statement of sustainable fishing to global media sources. Morgunblaðið reports that the campaign, called Responsible Fisheries, has been attracting international media attention.
“Icelanders have structured a fisheries management system to ensure
responsible fisheries, focusing on the sustainable utilization of the
fish stocks and good treatment of the marine ecosystem,” the statement reads in part. “The fisheries management in Iceland is primarily based on extensive
research on the fish stocks and the marine ecosystem, decisions made on
the conduct of fisheries and allowable catches on the basis of
scientific advice, and effective monitoring and enforcement of the
fisheries and the total catch. These are the main pillars of the
Icelandic fisheries management intended to ensure responsible fisheries
and the sustainability of the ocean’s natural resources.”
The logo shown above will be put on all Icelandic seafood products for export.
Iceland’s fishing system is not without its critics, and many Icelanders are unsatisfied with the quota system, insofar as it enables large companies to buy up the quota of smaller companies, in some cases ending employment opportunities for smaller communities in Iceland.
You can read the mission statement in its entirety here.