Axel Helgason was awarded recognition as the small boat fisherman of the year at the fisheries exhibition held last week in Reykjavík.
Axel Helgason built his own boat, Sunna Rós, completing the build in 2014 and starting fishing for mackerel the same year using equipment that he also built for himself. The fishing gear has attracted attention for its simplicity and effectiveness, as well as for the safety aspects incorporated into the design.
Sunna Rós was one of the highest-landing coastal mackerel boats during the 2016 season, even though Axel Helgason was fishing mainly single-handed.
He also nets for lumpfish during the season and rigs his own gear with a system that takes only a few minutes to rig each net. Sunna Rós is fitted out with a netting system also made by its owner, with a lightweight aluminium box fitted aft for the nets to be flaked into as they come through the net stacker.
The award is from fishing gear supplier Sjóvélar and Axel Helgason was nominated by the National Association of Small Boat Owners. The award was presented by first lady Eliza Reid, wife of Iceland’s recently elected President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson.
The exhibition came to an end after three days at Reykjavík’s Laugardalshöll.
‘I’m very satisfied with the exhibition and both exhibitors and visitors have been very positive. The aim was to set up an event that was primarily a platform for exhibitors to meet customers and strengthen business links,‘ organiser Ólafur M Jóhannesson told kvotinn.is.
‘I wanted a professional fishing industry exhibition, a straightforward business event. It has been very varied and a great many innovations have been presented here,’ he said.
