MP Wants Government To Save Lake Mývatn

The Chairperson of the Environment and Communications Committee has described the situation at Lake Mývatn as “serious”, and in need of action.

Lake Mývatn has been in dire environmental straits for at least the past four years now, with some unique forms of life in the water in either critical danger or already more or less wiped out. Vísir reports that the matter has not gone unnoticed by Progressive MP Höskuldur Þórhallsson, who is also the Chairperson of the Environment and Communications Committee.

The committee listened to expert testimony about the lake yesterday morning, and Höskuldur now believes government intervention is crucial to saving Mývatn.

“I think it’s pretty obvious that the government needs to respond in some way,” he told reporters. “The situation is serious. I think it’s very important that parliament’s environmental committee examine the matter in a balanced way, as we are.”

Höskuldur believes one of the ways the national government could respond would be by giving more funding to local authorities to help improve the health of the lake.

“We need to examine this very seriously, in my opinion,” he said. “We also need to ensure that research being conducted at Mývatn is increased, so we can know as exactly as possible what is going on in this dynamic lake.”

Agricultural run-off, as well as increased foot and car traffic around the area, have been contributing factors in the species depletion currently going on at Mývatn.