Fisheries conference highlights need for greater predictability

The Fisheries Conference 2026 concluded with calls for greater predictability in the sector, mbl.is reported. Held for the 14th time, the conference brought participants to Harpa over two days for sessions on issues affecting Iceland’s fishing industry.

Under the theme “The advantage follows the fish,” most sessions explored ways to strengthen the industry’s competitive edge, increase value creation and improve competitiveness. Topics included by-products, product traceability, innovation, sales and marketing, agreements on shared fish stocks, research, local processing, and the sector’s future, leadership and public image.

Writer and lecturer Bergur Ebbi and Eyrún Ingibjörg Sigþórsdóttir, mayor of Dalvíkurbyggð and a former fisheries operator, led the closing session. They reviewed the discussions and distilled key messages from the sessions.

They agreed that greater predictability was the central conclusion and a key to success. Bergur Ebbi said participants had described the year as one of “waiting and seeing.” That uncertainty, which extended beyond fisheries and reflected developments in international affairs, was making long-term planning, including efforts to reach new markets, more difficult.

He also said people seemed to be taking a breather after contentious debates, including those over fishing fees and Iceland’s possible membership of the European Union. “People may not be ready to jump straight into another fight,” he said.

Artificial intelligence and other new technologies were also discussed. Bergur Ebbi referred to a presentation by Eggert Benedikt Guðmundsson, director of the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, on how technology could help uncover new insights in the vast amount of data collected by the institute over decades. It could allow researchers to process large datasets more quickly and identify connections between studies.

Participants raised concerns about the fishing industry’s image among younger people, many of whom had not grown up close to one of Iceland’s key industries. Discussion of the sector was often dominated by politics, quotas and fishing companies’ financial results. Industry businesses were urged to explain the sector more clearly.

Eyrún Ingibjörg said she had been surprised by the volume of unprocessed catch exported from Iceland. The discussion had led her to believe the issue required action, starting with a review of laws and regulations. She said the matter also affected the reputation of Icelandic fish.