Icefish proved a showcase for the dynamism of the region’s fishing and seafood business

The 15th edition of the Icelandic Fisheries and Aquaculture Exhibition and Conference delivered everything expected, and more… 

The event, better known as IceFish, took place in Kópavogur, Iceland from 22-24 September, attracting nearly 8,500 visitors. 

Traditionally a celebration of Icelandic commercial fishing IceFish has grown into an international exhibition and conference, attracting both exhibitors and visitors from as far afield as Canada and Japan.  

IceFish was opened by the Iceland Minister of Industries, Hanna Katrín Friðriksson who spoke about the changes to the event, “”A great deal has changed since 1984. There was no exhibition app on your phone, artificial intelligence was not helping with decisions, and remote monitoring usually meant someone standing close enough to keep an eye on things. One thing has remained constant though: progress depends on people meeting, comparing experience, and be willing to try a better way.” 

Providing a platform for the industries to come together and fostering successful business relationships are key aims for IceFish and it’s clear from the exhibitor’s comments that, this year, it met and exceeded its goals… 

“The feedback was unanimously positive. Everyone was very pleased with both the attendance and the calibre of visitors. The right people from the fisheries sector were present, and all commented that turnout was significantly better than they had expected.”, Hjörtur Erlendsson, CEO, Hampiðjan. 

“The second day was incredible; I think we had fish farmers from every continent visiting us.  We came here to talk to fish farmers in Iceland, and we have also had a lot of good meetings with fish farmers from the worldwide community.”,  EquaFish CEO and co-founder Eirik Lillebudal. 

“It’s been good. It’s been great. Those past two days we have had important people on the stand and a lot of interest in our product, so I’m pleased, very pleased”. Kaeling  CEO and owner Alti Steinn Jonsson 

“It was…heartwarming to get direct user input regarding our new Curio Whitefish skinner, apparently it’s a no brainer in comparison to competing products and only the cost of ownership is enough to justify the investment, I love to hear feedback like this on new products.” Jón Birgir Gunnarsson, JBT Marel 

“As expected, we heard inspiring ideas from startups, researchers and companies from around the world.” Danish Ocean Cluster 

“One of the best parts of these exhibitions is catching up with people. Customers we have worked with for years, friends from the industry and new people who take the time to stop and talk. It is always interesting to hear what people have been working on, how things are going and what they have planned next. We learn a lot from those conversations and appreciate people sharing their experiences with us”, SaePlast. 

“A big thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth, shared ideas and took the time to talk water treatment and aquaculture with us…It was great to have the opportunity to share our knowledge and be part of the discussions shaping the future of aquaculture.
Once again, thank you, IceFish for bringing the industry together”, NP Innovation.  

Aquaculture is a growing sector, both in Iceland and internationally and this was reflected in the new Aquaculture Hub which featured new and existing exhibitors and attracted a steady stream of engaged and motivated visitors. George Mantas, Business Development Director at AquaBio Tech Group and exhibitor in the Hub, said, “We are very pleased with our first attendance and exhibition at the show. We see that the Icelandic community share the same vision of growing a premium, sustainable aquaculture sector, and there is a dynamism and excitement about what the future brings.” 

The Aquaculture sector also came together in a new conference, Aquaculture – Driving Sustainable Growth, which took place at the IceFish exhibition venue.  Chaired by Ólöf Helga Jónsdóttir, board member of the Iceland Aquaculture and Ocean Forum (IAOF), and CPO of Kaldvik, it brought together sixteen expert speakers in four sessions to consider the latest issues facing the industry. Closing the conference the chair commented, “We came looking for ideas to pass on and this was just what the conference delivered…” 

The well-established 100% Fish for Profit conference, also taking place at IceFish had a celebratory feel to it from the outset, with Thor Sigfursson, founder of the Iceland Ocean Cluster and Dr Alexandra Leeper, CEO of the Cluster expertly heading up the event. Their Ocean Cluster programme is rolling out around the world and many of the Clusters had come together for the first time at IceFish.  

Over 148 professionals gathered to hear from Icelandic and international speakers on the latest technologies, transferable successes, R&D, novel markets, new ventures and the future in action. At the end of the second day both Thor and Alexandra were clearly delighted with the event. Thor commented, ” “So inspiring…great days come with all the stories…this has been much more enlightening than I thought.   

I am just so happy how things are moving, which is the crucial part of the whole thing, that we’re not sitting here just to talk about things, we’re basically saying this is happening right now.” 

Dr Leeper summed up the conference mood, ” it’s been an awesome day and a half of conference. It has just been wonderful, absolutely buzzing.” 

No IceFish would be complete without the prestigious Awards evening. This took place on the first evening and was attended by the Minister of Industries and by the Japanese Ambassador to Iceland.  The Awards recognised innovation in both the commercial fishing industry and in aquaculture. There were also presentations recognising an outstanding Icelandic Skipper and the lifetime achievement of two key people in the Icelandic industry. Iceland Exhibitor, GreenFish said, “We were honoured and grateful to be awarded Best New Startup… Being recognised alongside established names in Icelandic industry such as Hampiðjan Group and JBT Marel, as well as legendary skippers and exciting new technology from across the sector, made it extra special.” 

Full details of all Awards winners can be found here. 

Echoing IceFish’s increasing importance on the international stage the exhibition attracted VIP visits from Spain, Norway, Faroese Islands, Turkey and Japan.  Both diplomatic and trade delegations enjoyed extensive tours of the exhibition, familiarising themselves with the opportunities on offer and keen to pass them on to businesses in their regions for future attendance. 

Exhibitor Norse Shipyard commented, ” We were pleased to welcome Türkiye’s Ambassador in Reykjavik, Mr. Mustafa Levent Bilgen, to our stand…We had a great conversation about our ongoing projects, engineering capabilities, and future plans in the fishing and aquaculture sectors….Wishing him every success in his new role.” 

In a year which has thrown up many challenges for the commercial fishing and Aquaculture industries, both in Iceland and internationally, both exhibitors and visitors were keen to stress that IceFish, once again, proved an invaluable opportunity to meet, discuss, do business and plan for the future.  

IceFish returns in 2028, with provisional dates 12-14 September.