Sigrún Magnúsdóttir, umhverfis- og auðlindaráðherra, flutti eftirfarandi ávarp á 13^th International Grouse Symposium sem haldið var hér á landi 4. september 2015.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to welcome you to Iceland for the 13^th International Grouse Symposium. We are proud to host this important symposium here in Reykjavík and it is pleasing to see this good attendance and participants from all grouse range countries, and as far as Alaska, Japan and China.

You are arriving here in Iceland when our grouse – called “rjúpa” in Icelandic - soon changes colour from brown/greyish summer dress to the white winter camouflage. This beautiful bird is found throughout the circumpolar world, earning a place in the art and folklore of the people of the Arctic. And in many languages it is taking the name from snow like the names Snow chicken in English, White grouse in Alaska and Alpenschneehuhn in German.

Although Iceland is only native to one species of grouse - the ptarmigan or “rjúpa” – it is our by far the most popular game bird, with some 6.000 hunting card holders registering ptarmigan hunt annually.   

But “rjúpan” - our grouse – is not only a hunting object; it is a symbolic bird, close to the heart of most Icelanders and a frequent subject both in folklore and poetry. It is a beautiful and characteristic bird especially to our extensive heathlands.   

Ptarmigan hunting is an old tradition here Iceland. For many Icelandic families it is impossible to celebrate Christmas without a dish of this delicious game bird, usually on Christmas Eve that is the main event during the Festive season according to the Icelandic tradition. Historically regarded as the “poor man's meat” during Christmas when only the better off families could afford to slaughter domestic animals for fresh meat during the middle of winter, it is now regarded as a prime delicacy and central feature of the Christmas spirit for many families. 

This in a way explains the heated discussions there have been in relation to conservation and management of the ptarmigan population.

Iceland has for long been struggling to find the most efficient model for sustainable management of ptarmigan hunting. Once hunted commercially in big scale for export in many locations in rural Iceland, small scale sport hunting is now the rule.  

The ptarmigan population has, however, been recorded in a decline the last 2-3 decades, probably due to a combination of land use changes, climate change and other factors. I am told this trend seems to be happening on a larger scale at the northerly latitudes and I guess this will be a topic for your conference here in the coming days.

Fortunately, our management efforts, such as total catch for the season, shorter season, disrupted season, a trade ban and campaigning for bag limits of 6-9 birds per hunter seem to have paid off and we have managed to be within the management goals of total catch and continued fluctuation. I believe this has only been possible through the close cooperation, understanding and trust between the main players, hunters, scientists and management authorities and landowners.  

Dear guests,

I am fortunate to own a wooden cottage in North Iceland, bordering the vast heatlands of the Húnavatnssýsla highlands. There, a pair of “rjúpa” commonly seeks a refugee in the sheltered compound surrounding our cottage. It is simply amazing to following the “rjúpa” pair during courtship and their whole love story that follows. And to follow its adaptation to the harsh winter like burrowing into the snow to seek shelter from the bitter wind and native predators. Dear Grouse experts, your subject is really amazing wonder of nature!         

Let my conclude by saying that in all aspects of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, scientific research, monitoring and management in cooperation with key stakeholders and practitioners is the vital recipe for success. In that manner, international meetings and cooperation such as your International Grouse Symposium are important for sharing experiences and practises as for learning.

The agenda for these four days is very intense and interesting and seems to focus on most aspects of grouse populations. I congratulate the host of the conference, the Icelandic Institute of Natural History and the organizing committee The Icelandic Hunting Association, (Skotvís), Verkís engineers, Birdlife Iceland (Fuglavernd) and University of Iceland. Let me especially thank the organizers for their excellent work in preparing this event and the scientific committee for their inputs.  

I welcome you again to the 13^th International Grouse Symposium in Iceland and declare the symposium open.

Thank you.