Iceland Roundup: Shorts, Naval Exercise, Fewer Birds, Lobbying Mistakes, Marriage In Iceland

The Reykjavík Grapevine’s Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks.

On the docket this week: Does it make sense to wear shorts in Iceland — or take cold baths, or hike naked — given the weather and everything? We mention, but hardly discuss, “Operation Mongoose,” a naval exercise taking place in Iceland, and what types of people join the Icelandic Coast Guard. The population of Iceland’s two most beloved spring birds, the Lóa (Eurasian golden plover) and Spói (Eurasian whimbrel), is in stark decline. 30% of all whimbrels in the world lay eggs in Iceland, and so do 50–60% of all golden plovers. We discuss why. Fisheries Iceland, the organisation that lobbies on behalf of Icelandic fishing companies, has been critiqued for being somewhat tone-deaf in the advertising they’ve commissioned to oppose plans to raise taxes on the industry. In 2024, 5,546 people got married in Iceland, setting a new record. Also, 2023 marked the first year when more people were married in Iceland by a state magistrate than by the state church.

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