Catch fishing

The fishing quota system, or the so-called quota system, has long been a controversial topic among people. In the early decades of the system, the dispute primarily revolved around whether it was justified or whether it should be abolished. In recent years, however, a positive development has emerged in the discussion, moving towards greater consensus that fishery management based on the quota system has achieved good results despite everything. To confirm this, one can mention legislative proposals for changes to the laws governing fishing, which have been submitted to Parliament in recent years, advocating that fisheries should be managed through quotas. Additionally, the outcome of the so-called Mediation Committee from 2010 can be highlighted, where a broad group of stakeholders and political parties agreed that fisheries should be managed using the quota system. This form of management is efficient. Approximately 11% of the national output comes from fishing and processing. The system promotes sustainable utilization of fish stocks, and most stocks along the shores of Iceland are increasing. Internationally, Iceland is recognized for responsible fishery management, and the results of this are even deemed enviable.

In the government’s policy statement, it is stated that the fishery management system will be reviewed and that the basis for fishery management will continue to be the quota system. The laws governing fishing state that if the total catch is limited, quotas shall be allocated to individual vessels. When setting quotas, the continuous fishing experience from the past three years shall be considered.

For varying periods, the fishing of certain species has been managed by determining maximum total catch limits and licensing the fisheries. Conservation considerations are paramount, and overfishing has been prevented. These species should rightly have been allocated quotas as soon as the continuous fishing experience was available.

Changes will be made to the regulation regarding allowable total catch limits for the fishing year starting on 1 September. The change, which will be published today, includes my decision to set, for the first time, an allowable total catch limit for blue whiting, small cod, and gold salmon. This means that quotas will subsequently be allocated for these species to individual vessels. The allowable total catch limit for these species will be determined based on the advice of the Marine Research Institute. The above rationale applies to one additional stock; mackerel. I will soon initiate work on how best to determine its allocation.

Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture, and the Environment