Halldór Ármannsson, chairman of the Icelandic National Association of Small Boat Owners, has decided to step down after three years in the post, and is returning to fishing.
He said that it has been an honour to work for the small boat community and during his three years in the post, he has been frequently surprised at how decisions affecting the industry are made, commenting that representing people’s interests is a battle, and something that is closely linked to politics.
He made the point that meetings at the Marine Research Institute are beset by parties with interests to defend and this summer there was an overwhelming majority of these stating that cod are available in abundance, yet the quota increase of only 5000 tonnes was accepted almost without remark.
Halldór Ármannsson said that NASBO prefers to keep itself separate from this close relationship between interested parties and the authorities, setting out its unique position based on responsible proposals based on sound principles.
He commented that he hopes the small boat fishermen can look forward to brighter times ahead, considering that the working environment has often been better than it is today and there is a stark lack of a level playing field between fishing operators linked to processing and those who are not. He said that this is a trend that needs to be reversed and catch incentives and levies are tools that can be used for this.
Preparing to leave his post as NASBO chairman, he said that the coastal fishing regime also needs to be reviewed and in particular the restrictions placed on the fishery between May and August, commenting that weather, fish migration patterns on inshore grounds, trip length and catch limits are all the limitations needed.
