THE Fish Farming Association of Iceland has reduced produced an up assessment of the country's aqualculture industry, predicting a steady, but significant increase over the next few years. The current production is around 5,000 tones a year and the association expected that total to more than double by 2015.
At the moment the most important farmed species is Arctic Char, a typically Nordic fish that is well suited for smolt production.
But there has been considerable increase in salmon farming in both land based an open sea ranching operations. There is also growing interest in halibut culture and experiments have been promising.
Conditions for fish farming are regarded as excellent in Iceland thanks to unpolluted seas and an abundance of clear spring water for smolt production. Geothermal energy can be used to accelerate the growth of fish and the nation has extensive experience in the handling of fish products. Salmon fishing at sea has been banned in Icelandic waters for 50 years, which has led to fresh water catches being much higher than in neighbouring countries.
However, compared to countries like Iceland and Scotland fish farming in Iceland remains small. According to icelandreview.com the production value of Icelandic fish farming this year is estimated at around £14.5 million.
Managing director of the fish farming association Gudbergur Rúnarsson said operational conditions for fish farming in Iceland have improved lately with the depreciation of the Icelandic króna, but he remained critical of government plans for an energy tax which could add 15 per cent to production costs.
Should fisheries be closed during breeding time to allow stocks to reach more sustainable levels?
- 19 - 20 May, 2010
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