The interests of Icelandic fishing communities in the revision of fisheries management

Abstract

The decline of Icelandic fishing communities can be attributed to general factors such as increased demands for services, rising education levels, and a more specialized workforce, as well as specific factors like reduced catches, consolidation, changes in fish processing, and increased exports of fresh fish. The negative effects of the current fisheries management system on fishing communities primarily lie in the altered organization of fishing and processing, the contraction of local quotas, and uncertainty about the future, which significantly undermines residential stability. If there is a political will to protect the interests of fishing communities, it is essential to define such communities and their interests clearly.

Fishing communities in Iceland are too numerous and dispersed for the fishing industry to support them all, but by strengthening larger fishing hubs and clusters of smaller villages, the industry could remain a primary pillar of many employment areas across the country. For this to happen, fishing companies must see the benefit in strengthening regional operations—for example, by making a specific portion of quotas regionally bound instead of relying on current compensatory measures. In this way, the social cost of considering the interests of fishing communities would become visible, and the perceived trade-off between efficient operations and regional development goals could be resolved without placing additional burdens on the industry. However, more targeted measures must be taken if fragile fishing communities outside larger employment areas are to avoid abandonment.