A new solution for salmon farming could prevent significant environmental damage, says Ingólfur Ásgeirsson, founder of the Icelandic Wildlife Fund (IWF), according to Morgunblaðið.
He points to closed sea-based systems as the way forward, a method now gaining attention in Norway after open pens caused severe harm.
Lessons Abroad
In Norway, fjords have seen cod and shrimp vanish, while escaped farmed salmon flooded rivers, threatening wild stocks. Ingólfur calls it “an environmental disaster” and warns Iceland risks the same fate.
Closed pens, designed like floating silos, keep fish from escaping, cut deaths, and improve feed use. Waste is collected and reused, making the process far more sustainable than current net pens along Iceland’s coast.
Time to Act
The IWF plans to visit Norway this autumn with Icelandic politicians to see the systems in use.
Producers say a complete switch could be done in two to three years. Ingólfur insists new rules are needed: “Companies cannot write their own playbook. The government must set deadlines.”
He argues the benefits are clear: jobs would remain in rural communities, salmon would sell at higher prices, and consumers already demand cleaner products.
“This is win-win for everyone,” he says, “but it will take investment.”