A fishermen’s association in southern Iceland has passed a resolution of no confidence in the country’s fisheries minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson.
The Hrollaugur small-scale fishermen’s association, representing fishermen in the fishing port of Höfn, stated that the minister should resign his position on the basis that he has demonstrated that he has supported preferential treatment within the coastal fishing regime.
‘Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson took the decision alone, against the will of Parliament, to move the basis of the livehiloods of 125 coastal fishermen from the southern region to his own constituency. The Minister has clearly misused his powers in his own interests. This is a serious matter that we can not ignore,’ reads a statement from the Association.
The core of the issue is the decision to reduce the amount of fish available to fishermen it he southern area of Iceland, and to make more available to the northern region, where the minister’s own constituency lies.
‘We do not trust Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson to safeguard our national resources and the livelihoods of coastal fishermen,’ Hrollaugur has announced, making the comment that the minister is not trusted to manage the coastal fishery regime in such a direction that all coastal fishermen can make a living from it, regardless of their location.
‘You talk down to fishermen all around the country and your dislike of the coastal fishery system is discernible. What interests are you defending? You have shown that you are divisive and that is not the kind of fisheries minister we want in Iceland. The coastal fishery system can be made equally good for everyone. It just requires will, but that’s what you don’t have,’ the association stated, directing its remarks to the minister in person.
