The Directorate of Fisheries was established on the 1st of September in 1992 and therefore celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022. The responsibilities assigned to the new Agency had previously been carried out by various bodies: the Ministry of Fisheries, the Icelandic Fisheries Association, the Marine Research Institute, and the Food and Veterinary Authority. Thus, the many tasks involved in fisheries management, surveillance, as well as data gathering, were merged under a single agency. The Directorate of Fisheries was established following the introduction of the individually transferable quota system in 1991 and it can be said that this marked the beginning of comprehensive fisheries management, data registration, quota management and surveillance of the fisheries in Iceland.

In the 30 years since its establishment, the Directorate of Fisheries has seeked to develop and improve as far as possible all the sectors of fisheries management and monitoring for which the agency is responsible. This is important for ensuring the best possible competitiveness of Icelandic marine products.

A major step in the development of the role of the Directorate of Fisheries was the amendment of the Act on Fisheries no. 36/1992 in June 2022, which unambiguously authorised the Directorate of Fisheries to use unmanned aircraft, drones, for surveillance, along with increased authorisations for electronic surveillance. One stage in this is the permission to carry out experiments with camera surveillance on board fishing vessels in cooperation with their operators that will commence in 2023. On-board camera surveillance has developed rapidly in recent years, and it is important for Iceland to take part in that development.

In 2022, the Directorate of Fisheries emphasised the development of methods for electronic surveillance, where data on fishing and processing are analysed and the results used in determining how the Agency’s resources should be applied effectively. Risk analysis of this kind gives a better view of behaviour in fishing activities, landings, and the weighing of catches. The Directorate of Fisheries has used such methods to effectively increase the efficiency of its resources for surveillance, both human and technical. This has proven to be an important step in strengthening and developing the surveillance effort. Financial restraints on the operation of government institutions have meant that the number of inspectors has decreased, and it is therefore important to make their work as efficient as possible with methods such as these.

Conventional surveillance will always be necessary, but to meet increased demands, technology and automation must be considered. Those who use the natural resource must also take responsibility and demonstrate responsible behaviour of their own accord. In the future, surveillance should be built into fishing and fisheries production processes as part of their quality systems that can be assessed by the authorities, rather than that the restraint on activities should stem from external controls by public bodies. This aim should be achieved through collaboration between the fisheries sector and the Icelandic fisheries authorities. In this context, it can be mentioned that the Directorate of Fisheries received a grant from the Nordic Council of Ministers to establish cooperation with neighbouring countries on the examination of innovations in electronic monitoring of fisheries, where these issues are under consideration. This grant has now been renewed and will enable this collaboration to continue at least through 2024. Taking part are fisheries regulators from Canada, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, the UK, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The Directorate of Fisheries initiated this work and is leading the way.

Besides its role in surveillance, the Directorate of Fisheries carries out various administrative tasks in fisheries management. Among the main tasks are the issuing of fishing permits, allocation of harvesting rights and transfers of quota. The processing of data and public disclosure of information on fishing and processing are also a major task. In 2022, the Directorate of Fisheries worked on numerous projects to increase the digital services of the Agency in this field, both in collaboration with Ísland.is, as well as by renewing various internal systems. In that regard, it is worth mentioning the administrative system for electronic documents that are now distributed to its recipients through the Ísland.is mailbox, processing of data and billing, and receipt of e-logbooks.

A new website for the Directorate was built in cooperation with Ísland.is. The content of the website is aimed at being user friendly and to fulfil the users’ basic needs. Applications for general fishing permits were opened through the Ísland.is application system. The Directorate of Fisheries will continue to expand the digital services of the Agency with the aim of improving customer service.

In 2022, collaboration with the Competition Authority, the Directorate began with the aim to map ownership relationships in the fishing industry. The Directorate of Fisheries hopes that this project will result in more accessible data that will make it easier for the Directorate of Fisheries to ensure that rules on maximum quota share are followed by induvial as well as interrelated companies. This project is funded by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.

One of the Directorate of Fisheries responsibilities is the administration and supervision of salmon and trout fishing. There have been fluctuations in salmon catches in recent years but catches of trout have increased slightly. Arctic char stocks have decreased and the collapse of char in Eyjafjörður River has occurred as a result. The Directorate of Fisheries is reviewing possible ways to protect arctic char stocks in Iceland in cooperation with the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute.

The Directorate of Fisheries issues licences for construction and mining along rivers and lakes. Information on such permits is now published on a digital map accessible from the Directorate’s website, the software for this is operated by the Icelandic National Land Survey. This provides greater transparency that can benefit members of the public and stakeholders and gives dependable information on ongoing projects.

The Directorate, which operates in 6 different places in the country, was finally able to organise a joint working seminar in 2022 after several earlier attempts, as the pandemic had prevented this until then. For the entire staff to finally be able to meet together in person was very enjoyable. The Directorate of Fisheries also participated in a fisheries exhibition after the pandemic break, where the emphasis was placed on showing the Directorate’s new website as well as information on drones and electronic surveillance.

In May 2022, the Directorate’s office in Hafnarfjörður moved from Dalshraun where the Agency had been for many years. The office in the capital region now shares premises with the Marine Research Institute in Fornubúðir 5 at the harbour in Hafnarfjörður. Accommodation there is modern, bright, and with great views. The Directorate of Fisheries office in the Westman Islands also moved to new premises and now shares premises with several companies and institutions in the cluster at Ægisgata 2.

Operations in 2022 were difficult financially since funding for operations has shrunk in recent years at the same time as requirements for efficient surveillance and administration have increased. It is important to ensure that financial resources are available to enable the Directorate to fulfil its role and develop in line with technological developments in the sector. It is important for the Directorate to actively cooperate internationally and follow developments in the countries we compete with on the international seafood market.

Since 1991, the Icelandic fisheries industry has developed rapidly and is today one of the most technologically advanced, economically viable and competitive fisheries in the world. Targeted management of the resources is important for the credibility of fisheries and for a strong competitive position on markets which are imposing increasingly stringent requirements for sustainability, traceability, and transparency of trade in marine products. It is therefore important that the administration develops in line with the industry and utilises technology and innovations to ensure good service and efficiency in its administrative and monitoring role.

Ögmundur Knútsson