Iceland’s Pirate Party stands to make some significant gains in the next general elections, due to be held in October. The Pirates have repeatedly polled high as attitudes to the country’s political parties have been assessed, and stand to become a major political force in a future government.
The Pirates have repeatedly made plain their attitude to the country’s fisheries management system, not least at a public meeting held in Thorlákshöfn this week.
According to state broadcaster RÚV, the quota management was system was discussed in the light of the sale of 1600 tonnes quota by Hafnarnes VER to HB Grandi recently, and it was also mentioned at the meeting that Skinney-Thinganes in Hornafjörður last year acquired 32% of Thorlákshöfn’s quotas which could be switched to another region at any moment.
One of Hafnarnes VER’s staff described his surprise at finding out on the news that he was likely to lose his job, as the news had gone to the media before staff had been informed, and the local authority’s mayor commented that as well as the direct jobs that stand to be lost as quotas go elsewhere, many related jobs in other sectors are also in jeopardy.
‘The sooner the present fisheries management system is got rid of, the better it will be for everyone except maybe a few fishing companies that have fishing communities in their grasp all around the country,’ was the verdict of Iceland’s Pirate Party at the meeting.
