Merki um ábyrgar fiskveiðar kynnt á Sjávarútvegssýningunni, 3. október 2008

Address by

The Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture,

Einar K. Gudfinnsson,

given at a presentation of

The Icelandic Logo for Responsible Fisheries,

at a meeting held by the Icelandic Fisheries Association, 3 October 2008

In connection with the Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen.

A few years ago a fine Icelandic fishing-vessel owner went to a fish & chips stand in London. When receiving his meal, he asked the person preparing it where the cod he was about to buy and consume came from. The British man looked deep into the eyes of the Icelandic fishing operator and then said in voice laden with conviction:  "Dear fellow, I can tell you one thing for sure - this fish came from the sea"!

This clearly illustrates an attitude that prevailed not so many years ago. The fish "just" came from the sea and that's all there was to it!  Recent years, however, have seen this attitude changing. People's awareness of the importance of the environment and how we utilize the natural resources has greatly increased. This applies not least to those in charge, namely the purchasing managers of the supermarkets. This is why they want to know how the natural resources are utilized. And, the reason is also that they feel they need to be able to answer such questions by their customers. Not only questions about the fish coming from the ocean, but also questions on where exactly the fish came from and how it was caught. Customers raise questions about responsible, sustainable utilization of the fish and many more such questions. The sellers must be able to answer the questions of their customers about these pressing and complex issues.

Since becoming minister of fisheries back in 2005, I have certainly felt the demand in an international context for the views of Iceland about the utilization of natural resources. Admittedly, this came as a bit of surprise to me. I knew that the Icelandic fishing industry has always been admired and that the industry frequently benefitted in terms of higher prices than the competition. In my mind, however, this image has become much clearer in recent years.  And, even though we can certainly do much better - which is what we are always striving for - there is no reason for us to feel embarrassed when a comparison is made between the Icelandic fishing industry and that at the forefront in our neighboring countries. Icelandic fish products have an excellent reputation - a well-deserved reputation, if I may so.  We have solid foundations and abundance of opportunities.  We can, nevertheless, further emphasize our special position and increase our competitiveness.

The market demands confirmation of products' origin. Such demands are perhaps not generally made by the man or woman doing the weekend shopping at the supermarket; instead they are made by those responsible for wholesale purchases for the large chains of stores. They make such demands simply because if they are to be able to offer fish products at their stores with good conscience, they need some kind of confirmation for the fish having been caught from sustainable stocks. They need to know that the legislation about the fisheries is responsible; that the fishing industry is subjected to the same rules and handle the utilization of this natural resource with caution - not carelessness! This has not escaped the attention of anyone trading in fish products. We know some chains of stores and supermarkets that have simply declared that they will not sell - and thereby not purchase - fish products that have not received an acknowledged certification of the responsible harvesting of the resource. To the best of my knowledge they do not generally demand any specific certification; nevertheless, a certification is a must!  Surely, we must take such demands seriously and people have indeed listened and reacted. The debate has progressed and the picture is becoming clearer.

The discussions on the Icelandic Logo for Responsible Fisheries and how to respond to the demands I am referring to here, have been ongoing during the period I have held the office of the minister of fisheries - in fact these debates reach further back than that. This period has seen quite a dramatic change in attitudes. It is my opinion that today; there is no doubt amongst those addressing these matters that there exists a pressing need to label our fish products with a certified eco and origin label.  Furthermore, the conclusion is to aim towards an Icelandic ecolabel where we set the rules of the game. Also, to ensure that this is done in a transparent and credible manner that cannot be doubted. This is why an independent certification is needed - a certification we abide by and accept.

A milestone in this progress was the Statement on Responsible Fisheries in Iceland which I signed on August 7th last year, together with the director of the Marine Research Institute, the Directorate of Fisheries and the chairman of the Fisheries Association of Iceland. This was a policy-setting statement. The focus was the FAO Code of Conduct, which is a principal document in the discussions on ecolabeling and will constitute the grounds of our work on such labeling. I know that various sellers of Icelandic fish products have used this statement and find it useful.  It is clear to everyone, however, that more is needed. An Icelandic eco-logo is the conclusion we have reached.

We are ready!  Our position is strong. We have managed our resource in a highly responsible manner and with utmost caution - many say with "too much caution". We may therefore continue our efforts towards an Icelandic eco-logo. The authorities are not the body entering into such decisions; instead the industry itself must be the leader in this respect. Nevertheless, the authorities can help in many ways, as we have done and as requested, and are of course more than prepared to continue doing so.

I believe that we are here addressing the most extensive task in today's fishing industry. This why it is essential that anything we do is as sophisticated as possible - and this is certainly the case.

I know there are various people within the industry who feel that the Icelanders have not worked expediently enough in this matter and there are those who had doubts about taking up eco-labeling at all. Well - ladies and gentlemen - the fact is that people did not initially agree over where to set the course. The FAO rules that were set in 2005 fueled these matters in an international context, as well as the views of the supermarket chains which become significantly clearer in the spring of 2006.  These matters called for detailed discussions and we certainly know that such discussions take time.

At this meeting we will see the results of the efforts by the Fisheries Association of Iceland in preparing an Icelandic Logo for Responsible fisheries. This is phase 2. Phase 3, certification and the associated logo, will follow in due course. I know that much effort has been put into this and I look forward to seeing the results for the Icelandic fishing industry in months and years to come.