MEETING LOCAL FISHERMEN AND THE SNÆFELLSJÖKULL NATIONAL PARK

Meeting Local Fishermen and the Snæfellsjökull National Park. The first of a series of features by Fish Focus, starting with our spotlight on Iceland. We will be posting an article every day, covering this amazing trip and showcasing the Icelandic Seafood industry, Icelandic heritage and the hospitality of the Icelandic people. You can read the whole publication here
After visiting the museum, we walked to the lovely coffee house, Gilbakki, owned by Ludvik Ver Smarason and his wife, Anna Thora Bodvarsdottir, our Host Björgvin‘s uncle and Aunt. We were treated to wonderful Icelandic waffles with the local rhubarb jam and warming cups of hot chocolate – just what we needed after the chilly weather outside!
Ludvik told us about his boat Kari III SH 219 , he fished for cod and his annual catch was around 100 tonnes of cod a year. Also at the café was local fisherman, Aron Baldursson. Captain of
the vessel Rifsari SH 70, who also fished for cod. His annual catch was around 1000 tonnes of cod a year. The Brim trawler we visited the previous day, was aiming for 1000 tonnes of cod a month.
Snæfellsjökull National Park, was next on our list. Local mayor, Kristinn Jonasson, welcomed us to the visitor’s centre, where we were given a short talk about the National Park and the work being done to promote and protect the area, with exhibitions and talks about local folklore and the beautiful landscape being a regular feature.
The area encapsulates many of the geological and geographical features that define Iceland as a whole, which is why the region is sometimes referred to as “Iceland in Miniature.”
We were still full of waffles but managed to make space for a delicious lunch of locally caught cod. We were all starting to wonder how Icelandic people are so slim and if we would be charged extra for our extra weight on our flight home