MSC Opens Office in Iceland

Gsli Gslason says: In the North Atlantic region, certification for Dutch North Sea Herring and assessment of Norwegian saithe fisheries in 2006 marked the beginning of a success story. Today 45% of the catches in the North East Atlantic are taken by fisheries that are certified or in full-assessment against the MSC standards. Since 2010 an increasing number of fisheries in Iceland and the Faroe Islands have entered the MSC program, which has never been more successful in this region. I am looking forward to serving the seafood industry in their journey of growing commitment to independent certification of their sustainability credentials.

As an Icelander, Mr Gslason has life-long experience of the seafood industry. He grew up in a fishing village on the east coast of Iceland. As a student he worked during holidays in fish processing plants, was engaged in fish farming, and was an active fisherman on trawlers in Iceland and Norway. He took a BSc in Marine Biology and an MSc in Aquaculture and Fishery science at the University of Troms, Norway.

After graduation he was appointed branch manager at the Icelandic Fisheries Laboratories in Westman Island. He then worked for over a decade in international seafood sales and marketing for both Icelandic Group and the Canadian company Barry Group. He worked at the Reykjavik city council environmental office for a period of time, and led the campaign for single fathers rights in Iceland which resulted in changes to the Icelandic law.

Since 2008 Mr Gslason has worked as a seafood consultant, including work for the MSC in the North Atlantic region, successfully raising awareness and increasing fishery and market participation in the MSC program. He will be working out of a local MSC office located in Reykjavik, Iceland.