Ahead of the 14th Icelandic Fisheries, Seafood & Aqua Exhibition in Reykjavik, WF looks at recent developments that have been further shaping Iceland’s seafood landscape

There’s nothing unusual about seismic activity in Iceland. In November last year, the inhabitants of one of the country’s key ports were evacuated from their homes as weeks of earthquakes turned out to be magma waiting to hit the surface, threatening the fishing port of Grindavík.

While Grindavík’s 3,700 inhabitants have moved on, the port remains in use and some processing remains – but the volcanic activity is far from over, periodically spewing lava towards power and transport infrastructure, and the tourist hotspot of the Blue Lagoon. The likelihood is this freshly-renewed volcanic activity in Iceland’s southwest region could be around for centuries to come.

There haven’t been only volcanic tremors over the last year or two. Iceland’s volatile politics also came to the boil this year as Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir stepped down to stand (unsuccessfully) as a candidate during this year’s Presidential election. This triggered a reshuffle within the uneasy government coalition made up of the Independence and Progressive Parties, and the Left Green Alliance, notably with finance minister Bjarni Benediktsson yet again claiming the PM’s job, and there were changes at the Ministry of Food, Fisheries and Agriculture.

Longstanding Minister for Food Svandís Svavarsdóttir returned to her post after illness forced her to take time off, and was shifted sideways to become Minister of Infrastructure, while the reshuffle kept the Ministry of Food in Left-Green hands as Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir was installed as her replacement – just as aquaculture and whaling became hot political topics.