Minister of Education, Science and Culture Lilja Alfreðsdóttir announced the winners of the 2018 Icelandic Fisheries Bursary Awards at a ceremony held at the Iceland Ocean Cluster in Reykjavik.
The two winners, both students at the Icelandic College of Fisheries, were awarded ISK 500,000 towards their respective courses. The first winner, Thórunni Eydís Hraundal is studying quality control within the fishing sector and the second winner Herborg Thorláksdóttir, 56, is studying towards her qualification as a processing technician with Marel.
“It‘s an honour to present the 2018 Icelandic Fisheries Bursary Awards, especially as they inspire students to strive for excellence and that is a marvellous thing,” commented Lilja Alfreðsdóttir.
“It is very important to encourage students to succeed and consequently help make the Icelandic fishing and processing industry become a global leader in modern and innovative fisheries techniques. Many new jobs have been created in the seafood industry over the past few years because of research, technological development and innovation, and we will always take notice of the best in that field when we are setting the future course in education and science.“
Marianne Rasmussen-Coulling, events director at Mercator Media, announced at the awards ceremony that the organisers of the Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition 2020 has decided to extend the Icelandic Fisheries Bursary Awards for two more years.
“As organisers of the Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition we recognise the importance of continued innovation and the development of the fisheries and seafood industry in Iceland. We believe that the best way to achieve this is through continued training and education,” she said.
“We have received very positive feedback from the two 2017 winners and it gives us great pleasure, in 2018, to be able to again support two new highly promising students at the Icelandic College of Fisheries. We hope that these grants will not only benefit them but the whole sector in the years ahead. We are also delighted announce that the bursaries will be granted for two more years so the Icelandic Fisheries Bursary Awards will live on and continue to invest in the future of the fishing sector in Iceland.”
Bursary award winner Herborg Thorláksdóttir said that she had expected to quit her studies.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to pay for them but the awards change that completely, and I‘m really proud and grateful,” she said.
“It is a privilege to receive the 2018 Icelandic Fisheries Bursary Awards and is also an important financial support for me personally.”
Thórunn Eydís Hraundal said that she plans to continue her studies.
“The awards will support my further training in the Icelandic fishing and processing industry and are a positive and unexpected recognition for me and my hard work in my studies,” she said.
“They also strengthen my intention of studying marine and fishery science at the University of Akureyri when I finish my education at the Icelandic College of Fisheries.”
Established in the port of Grindavík in 2010, the purpose of the Icelandic College of Fisheries is to meet the current requirements of the fishing and processing industry by producing suitably trained staff. The college offers training for deck crews and shore-based industries in aquaculture and fish processing.
