Municipality leader calls for overhaul of fish farming laws

Dagmar Ýr Stefánsdóttir, head of Múlaþing municipality, says Iceland needs a comprehensive review of its laws on sea-cage farming, mbl.is reported. She said municipalities where the industry operates have long called for clearer legislation, particularly on their role and access to revenue.

The Food and Environment Agency recently granted fish farming company Kaldvík an operating licence for 10,000 tonnes of sea-cage farming in Seyðisfjörður, a fjord. The project has faced strong opposition from local residents, which the Planning Agency described as unprecedented.

Stefánsdóttir said Múlaþing municipality did not take part in decisions of this kind and had not taken a specific position on the project. The municipality only provides comments on individual aspects when asked, she said, and would work with whatever decision was reached.

With the new licence, Kaldvík is authorised to produce 43,800 tonnes of salmon in sea cages, including 41,000 tonnes of fertile salmon and 12,800 tonnes of sterile salmon.

Stefánsdóttir said the state needed to complete its work on legislation governing the industry. She criticised the fish farming fund, saying she believed revenue from the sector should go directly to municipalities rather than requiring them to apply for funding through a fund based in Reykjavík.