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Svandís Svavarsdóttir of the Left-Green Movement has taken over as the new Icelandic Minister of Fisheries from Kristján Þór Júlíusson
Iceland has a new Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture which could mean a change in the country’s fishing policy as a new Green politician takes office.
After last September’s General Election, the Independence Party remains the biggest political party with the Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement taking up the other top three spots respectively.
Svandís Svavarsdóttir of the Left-Green Movement has taken over as Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture from Kristján Þór Júlíusson formerly of the Independence Party.
The government’s new governing charter deals in detail with fisheries and agriculture. Among other things, it sets ambitious goals to increase the proportion of healthy and nutritious foods on the basis of strong domestic food production. It also discusses the importance of green steps in the fisheries sector and the need to formulate a comprehensive policy on development, framework and tariffs in aquaculture. It is also important to consider and foster innovation and development in the consumer market.
“Food production, agriculture and the fisheries sector have deep roots in society and at the same time have a lot to gain when we look at innovation and development, but also climate issues,” says Svandís. “The projects are interesting and exciting and now we have to roll up our sleeves and go into what lies ahead.”
According to reports in Iceland, Kristján Þór Júlíusson, the outgoing Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture has left politics and is working on renewing his captaincy certificate. He had just had graduated before he arrived in Bessastaðir yesterday where the last cabinet meeting of the outgoing government was held.
The former Minister had previously served as a coxswain and a captain but the last time he was a sea was in 1985. He was about to take up a new posting as captain when he was appointed Mayor of Dalvik, which began his carrier in politics.