research

Directorate of Fisheries

The Directorate of Fisheries operates under the direction of the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture. Its role is in the field of monitoring general fish farming activities, fishing for on-growing cod farms, allocation of quota there related and slaughtering. Collection and publication of aquaculture data is also the responsibility of the Directorate of Fisheries in collaboration with Statistics Iceland.

The Environment Agency of Iceland

The Environment Agency operates under the direction of the Ministry for the Environment. Its role is to promote the protection and sustainable use of Iceland’s natural resources, as well as public welfare, by helping to ensure a healthy environment, and safe consumer goods.

The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST)

The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority operates under the direction of the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture. Its role is in the field of food safety, animal health and welfare, control of feed, seed and fertilizers, plant health and water for human consumption.

Icelandic National Planning Agency

The Icelandic National Planning Agency operates under the direction of the Ministry for the Environment. The institute is a state authority responsible for the administration, monitoring and implementation of the Planning and Building Act , the Environmental Impact Assessment Act and the Strategic Environmental Assessment Act.

Marine Research Institute

The Marine Research Institute is a governmental institute with headquarters in Reykjavík and five branch laboratories all around Iceland. It has one Mariculture laboratory near Grindavík where the main emphasis has been placed on studying the farming potential of four species in Iceland, Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut, turbot and abalone. The Marine Research Institute has also participated in several aquaculture projects outside the institute, frequently in cooperation with private companies, e.g. collection and on-growing of wild cod and haddock in sea cages, growth rate studies of juveniles in land-based facilities, ranching of free-ranging cod in two Icelandic fjords and research and development with regard to cultivation of blue mussel.

Matis

Matis is a new public limited company owned by the government and offers various services for the food industry and aquaculture in Iceland. The company’s headquarters are in Reykjavik and it has five branches are located all around Iceland. Matis participates in several aquaculture projects, e.g., preventive measures during the first stages of marine aquaculture, feed and feeding studies, control of growth and sexual maturation by the use of cold cathode light technology, development of farming technology and the handling and processing of farmed fish. Various genetic analyses are among the projects of the Genetics department of Matis. Genotype analyses of various species, that can be used for breeding animals as well as wild animals, for parental analyses, population analyses and tracing analyses. Matis runs a sea cage research station on the northwest coast. Furthermore, many M.Sc. and Ph.D students are doing research at Matis and working on their theses there.

Hólar University College

Hólar University College is located in northern Iceland and is a scientific educational and research institution whose objective is to train students to carry out expert work and research in the school’s areas of specialization. The objective of the Aquaculture and Fish Biology Department is to gather and disseminate knowledge in the fields of aquatic biology, aquaculture, and fish biology. The department is an international centre for research, instruction, and continuing education in aquatic biology, aquaculture, and fish biology. Holar have participated in several aquaculture projects, especially in research of Arctic char, e.g. selective breeding, feed and feeding studies. The department has two laboratories for research and teaching, one at Saudarkrokur and the other, for selective breeding of Arctic char, at Holar.

Institute for Experimental Pathology

The Institute for Experimental Pathology of the University of Iceland is situated at Keldur in Reykjavik. The Institute is divided into four sections; i.e. Administration, Fish Disease Laboratory, Department of Virology and Molecular Biology and Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology. Among research activities within the Department of Virology and Molecular Biology are studies on fish Immunology.

The Fish Disease Laboratory at Keldur is the Icelandic National Reference Laboratory for fish and shellfish diseases. Duties involve basic research in fish and shellfish diseases, applied veterinary research, health control, and diagnostic services for aquatic animals. Supervision of university students in research projects is also carried out at the Laboratory. These projects include work on fish diseases and prophylaxis such as virulence of infecting agents, pathology, immunology development of diagnostic tests, epidemiology etc. The Institute has access to one facility outside Reykjavik for experiments with live fish at the Research Centre in Sandgerdi.

Valdimar Ingi Gunnarsson