Hrútafjarðar fishing association sues Icelandic government over fish farming damages

The Hrútafjarðar and Síkár fishing association is suing the Icelandic government for damages linked to fish farming. According to the association’s lawyer, there are serious concerns about genetic contamination due to fish farming activities. The association is seeking official recognition of their entitlement to compensation.

The lawyer cites harmful effects on fishing license sales due to reports of Norwegian divers capturing farmed salmon that had escaped from Arctic Fish’s cages last autumn. He emphasizes that the current legal framework governing fish farming is inadequate and the monitoring is insufficient. The issue gained global attention when news broke about these incidents.

Jón Þór Ólason, the lawyer representing the association, explained that the geographic location of the river makes it easy for escaped salmon to find their way back into the waterway. He noted that the escaped farmed salmon, partly of Norwegian origin, poses an even greater risk of genetic mixing and disease spread.

He remarked that the imagery of these events has negatively impacted the sales of fishing licenses. In response to why the fishing association is suing the state rather than the fish farming companies, he highlighted the state’s responsibility to protect interests guaranteed by both the Icelandic Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, specifically the right to ownership of salmon fishing rivers.

Ólason referenced a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights regarding the impact of climate change, where the Swiss state was found to have violated rights by failing to uphold obligations under international agreements. He stressed that the Icelandic government was aware of the pollution and risks associated with allowing sea cage farming, and that academic experts have warned of declining fish stocks in countries like Norway and Scotland that engage in salmon fishing and aquaculture.