The residents of Grímsey Island do not want a processing obligation

The mayor and the president of the Akureyri town council are now trying to get the Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries to issue a new regulation to the effect that the fisheries in Grímsey Island will be freed from the obligation to process the catch that reaches the land on the basis of a specific regional quota, but the regulation that granted an exemption from such a processing obligation expired in 2019.

Yesterday, the above-mentioned parties and the 1st Member of Parliament for the North Eastern Constituency met on the issue, while Food Minister, Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir is also a Member of Parliament for the constituency.

"I have also been in contact with other members of parliament and the Minister of Infrastructure regarding this matter and they all understand this, but we must get a result in the matter that can be accepted," says Ásthildur Sturludóttir, Mayor of Akureyri in an interview with Morgunblaðið.

Sad that this is the case

The desired result is that an exemption from the processing obligation in Grímsey Island will be granted, as it has been. Sturludóttir says that it was known it might come to this and discussions have been held with the Icelandic Regional Development Institute, the Ministry of Food, and the members of the Althingi regarding this for quite some time. She said she hopes that the Minister of Food will introduce a new regulation that frees Grímsey Island from the obligation to process fish, which comes about as a result of the specific regional quota.

"Regrettably, this has happened to a place that is really in the middle of the rich fishing grounds that are all around Grímsey Island," says Örn Pálsson, executive director of the National Association of Small Boat Owners. He considers it unrealistic to establish fish processing in Grímsey Island.