Salmon workers among Iceland’s top earners

Iceland’s fish farm workers are among the best paid in the country, according to the latest statistical data.

They earned on average ISK 957,000 or £5,467 a month over the first nine months of this year says Radarinn, the fishing industry information site.

This is more than £1,000 or around 25% a month higher than the average industrial pay cheque of ISK 773,000 (£4,416) a month.

The data is drawn from both full and part time workers and shows that aquaculture is now the fourth best paid sector in the country.

Compared to Britain, the cost of living in Iceland is high especially in relation to housing, transport and food but £5,400 a month is still a decent wage.

Iceland is currently in the grip of a general election campaign with the various political parties putting forward various policies on the country’s expanding aquaculture industry.

But there is little doubt that the sector is bringing new prosperity to the country, especially in the Westfjords region where much of the industry is concentrated.

A least four new land-based fish farms are either being built or are proposed with further project in the pipeline.

Meanwhile, the export value of farmed fish products totalled ISK 6.6bn, an increase of 26% on a year ago.

It brings the export value of aquaculture products to ISK 42bn (£243m) – that is almost double the figure of five years ago and eight times higher than what it was a decade ago.

In 2015 the value of salmon-only exports was just IS 2.7bn (£15.4m) compared to ISK 26.1bn or £149m last year. Iceland is also a major exporter of Arctic char, which is popular in the US.