In a refuge, a wise man built a house, on sand he built ...

I have rather kept myself to the sidelines in the discussion about Landeyjarhöfn in the hope that things would look better in this important transport issue concerning the Westman Islands. I can no longer sit idly by and not put a few lines on paper. According to the website of the Road Administration, bids for sand dredging in and around Landeyjarhöfn are to open on 11 August this year. It is estimated that 750 thousand cubic meters of sand will be pumped over the next three years, but previous estimates of the amount for sand dredging have not been met. It was initially estimated to pump 30 thousand cubic meters per year, but that has not been the case at all, and I fear the same will happen this time. I have made an effort to listen to those voices that know the circumstances best from personal experience, the voices of those who are well acquainted with ferry services and those who have extensive experience in port construction. Unfortunately, their forecasts and experiences with Landeyjarhöfn have become a reality, but the port and the entrance do not provide the transport improvements for the people of the Westman Islands that were expected, except for parts of the year.

Just as predictability is needed in fishing and stability in the economy, stability in transport matters is also required, and a secure connection to the country's transport system, both domestically and just as importantly for exports, whether for international shipping services or the international airport in Keflavík, where the export of fresh fish products is rapidly increasing.

Delivery reliability is part of the quality of fish processing in the country, and the management of fishing and processing in cooperation with buyers in foreign fresh fish markets is the key to increased value creation in the industry. Transport is therefore part of the quality system of processing, but over half of all fish processing in the country takes place within 100 kilometers of Keflavík airport. Landeyjarhöfn is a weak link in that value chain for the people of the Westman Islands.

It is equally important for the tourism service in the Westman Islands to have secure transport, where it is possible to offer regular trips all year round, as the travel season is constantly extending into the winter.

We should review the project from start to finish, the potential of the port and how ferries perform best in the conditions present at Landeyjarhöfn. It is possible to lease ferries that can help to review the project from scratch. Let us pause from shoveling sand back and forth in the Landeyjar and focus on what we know and the experiences people around the world have taught us. We do not need to waste public funds on reinventing the wheel. All possible types of ferries are available in all sizes and shapes that have been tested.

We who have been at sea know that sometimes it is necessary to change direction when faced with natural forces, and the sooner we confront that, the better. I believe the time has come for Landeyjarhöfn. Landeyjarhöfn will serve the purpose of basic passenger ferries that will travel quickly between the mainland and the islands when weather permits, while cargo transport will be handled by real ships to Þorlákshöfn. A rough survey on the Internet tells me that a ferry that would be larger and more powerful and could travel twice as fast as Herjólfur would cost about 3 billion. Even if it costs more than that, it would be a significant transportation improvement and a permanent investment.

There is a great need for funding at many ports in the country, especially here in the South, where we can mention Grindavík, Sandgerði, and Hornarfjörður, as well as Þorlákshöfn, where it is estimated that improvements and changes to the port's infrastructure will cost 2.2 billion over the coming years. Quotas for fish catch do not adequately support anything other than the regular operation of fish harbors today, and the Harbor Improvement Fund that is supposed to support these ports has been starved for many years. The Faxaflói Ports are doing very well and are considering billion króna investments in their area, as they handle the majority of imports and exports for Icelanders. We Icelanders are just about 330 thousand or roughly the size of a very small fishing village in Europe. Isn't it time to think about things holistically rather than fighting each in our own corner and spreading limited funds too thinly over too many places?

The Faxaflói model has proven very effective, and it is not apparent that Akranes has suffered losses in that collaboration. Therefore, I ask whether it is possible to consider the option of bringing Þorlákshöfn and the ports on the Reykjanes Peninsula into the Faxaflói Ports. The Faxaflói Ports have the strength necessary to develop Þorlákshöfn into a stop for larger international ships if we are looking at the longer term. It is tempting to share the facilities for an efficient Westman Islands ferry that could comfortably carry passengers on a 90-minute trip to Þorlákshöfn, even if the sea conditions are poor, and provide a secure connection for cargo transport to other transport systems, whether by air or sea freight.

I know that those who have the greatest faith that experts know how Landeyjarhöfn should be transformed into the lifeline it needs to be will agree. The mayor of the Westman Islands, who is a very strong advocate for the Westman Islands, is convinced that experts and authorities can keep their previous commitments for an all-year-round port in Landeyjarhöfn and is diligent in communicating this. Perhaps the mayor should look closer to home and listen more to his own people and, in this case, to seasoned captains and fishermen who know the southern coast and sea conditions there from personal experience.

It will be interesting to see the tender figures for the expected sand dredging at Landeyjarhöfn, but who dares to dredge sand in these difficult conditions all year round? Unfortunately, I am of the opinion that it will be a difficult task, and I am confident that a smaller ship than the current Herjólfur is not the future solution for the islanders.

Páll Jóhann Pálsson The article was published in sunnlenska.is on 7 August 2015.