The Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition is due to be held in Reykjavík between 2nd and 4th of October. This exhibition is considered as a major step towards ensuring that Icelandic seafood products will maintain their position on overseas markets in the future. It is said that the project to establish the eco-label has been managed by a working group under the leadership of Dr Kristján Thórarinsson from the Icelandic Federation of Fishing Vessel Owners and vice-chairman of the Icelandic Fisheries Association, Gudbergur Rúnarsson of the Federation of Fish Producers, Rúnar Thór Stefánsson of HB Grandi, Gunnar Tómasson of Thorbjörn hf, Örn Pálsson of the National Association of Small Boat Owners and Steinar Ingi Matthíasson on behalf of the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture.
Finnur Gardarsson of the Icelandic Fisheries Association has worked with the group and participated in developing the formal requirements that the certification will be based on. He told that they plan to reach overseas customers and consumers of Icelandic seafood products. The label tells the consumer that the product is of Icelandic origin and has been caught under a responsible fisheries management regime. He explained that this relates directly to Iceland’s fisheries management, which is built on the best available scientific knowledge and the international agreements on fisheries management that Iceland is a party to.
The project was started in response to the market’s requirements and this is a marketing tool. Gardarsson said that there is still plenty to be done, including registering the label internationally as our copyright and setting clear guidelines for use and for what products it may be used. He express that the demands from different markets can vary significantly, in that in some areas there is more emphasis on the origin of the product than on labelling as such.
