ICELAND

Iceland, renowned for its stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage, is also making significant strides in the field of aquaculture. The island nation, geographically poised between the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, boasts an ideal environment for fish farming. 

While fishing is absolutely central to Iceland’s economy and culture, the country’s emergence as a serious player in the farmed salmon sector is a comparatively recent phenomenon. 

Iceland’s pure, nutrient-rich waters and its unique geography make it an excellent location both for marine farming and, increasingly, for land-based farms using naturally filtered water and the island’s geothermal resources.  

As a major fishing nation despite the small size of its population, Iceland also has a well-developed seafood processing sector with the skill-sets and capital to ensure the contry extracts the maximum value from its marine resources.

In recent years, Iceland’s initiative to ensure value is maximised and waste minised in  processing has attracted the attention of the world.

Given that the islanders take the natural environment so seriously, it’s not surprising that there is also a movement to restrict or even ban fish farming, and the question of how the industry should be regulated and taxed is currently in a state of flux. 

Even so, with quotas under ever more pressure, we can expect aquaculture to become an ever more important part of the Icelandic economy.