PROTECTION FOR THREE ICELANDIC SEABED AREAS

Protection for three Icelandic seabed areas. Iceland’s Minister of Food Svandís Svavarsdóttir has confirmed a regulation on protection measures for vulnerable marine areas and bottom ecosystems.

The regulation defines three new areas where bottom fishing will not be allowed. In addition, areas that were previously included in the Iceland Nature Reserve Regulation have been entered into the same Regulation. All fishing except manual fishing and pelagic fishing with a floating trawl and ring note will in future be prohibited in these areas. Upon entry into force of this Regulation, all bottom fishing will be prohibited in a total of seventeen areas in Iceland’s fishing waters, covering just under 2% of the fishing territory.

Most of the areas have been closed to fishing by line and/or bottom trawl for a long time since 1971. Eleven areas for the conservation of corals have also been included in the regulation, but bottom fishing has been prohibited on part of them for almost twenty years.

“Protecting biodiversity is one of the biggest challenges of our time,” said the Minister of Food. “The protection of marine ecosystems is an important factor. The goals of the international community are lofty, aiming to protect around 30% of the world’s oceans. We need to do better in this area and this is an important step in that direction.”

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