MSC opens office in Iceland
The MSC has appointed Gísli Gíslason as senior fishery outreach manager, responsible for servicing stakeholders and fishery clients in Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
The appointment has been made in response to increased participation of fisheries in the North Atlantic region. Mr Gíslason will be based in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Mr Gíslason says: “In the North Atlantic region, certification for Dutch North Sea herring and assessment of Norwegian saithe fisheries in 2006 marked the beginning of a success story. Today 45% of the catches in the North East Atlantic are taken by fisheries that are certified or in full-assessment against the MSC standards. Since 2010 an increasing number of fisheries in Iceland and the Faroe Islands have entered the MSC program, which has never been more successful in this region. I am looking forward to serving the seafood industry in their journey of growing commitment to independent certification of their sustainability credentials.”
As an Icelander, Mr Gíslason has life-long experience of the seafood industry, including working in fish processing plants and engaging in fish farming as a student, and was an active fisherman on trawlers in Iceland and Norway. He took a BSc in Marine Biology and an MSc in Aquaculture and Fishery science at the University of Tromsø, Norway.
He has also worked at the Icelandic Fisheries Laboratories, Icelandic Group, Barry Group and Reykjavik city council’s environmental office.
Since 2008 Mr Gíslason has worked as a seafood consultant, including work for the MSC in the North Atlantic region, successfully raising awareness and increasing fishery and market participation in the MSC program.