Cross regional delegation

In all, there were 15 participants from 6 partner countries (Vietnam, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Grenada, and Guyana) that took part in this tour, which consisted of lectures, visits to institutions, companies and organizations and discussion sessions. The participants had lectures on the Icelandic fisheries management system and stock assessment, as well as discussions with representatives of private sector, HB Grandi, with respect to marketing a diversity of products. There were several site visits included in the study tour, including the Icelandic Coast Guard, the Directorate of Fisheries, a fish auction market, a full day at the Matís food research and biotechnology laboratory, and a visit to Marel, a manufacturer of food processing machinery.

The group then flew to the north of Iceland, where they were welcomed by the University of Akureyri and had a lecture on the value-chain in fisheries. The group toured a number of companies in the north, including Samherji, where they say both white fish and dried fish processing, Promens industrial tub manufacturing, Seigla boat builders, Atlantic Leather, and Ektafiskur. The group also visited Hólar University College, where they were introduced to research on aquaculture in Iceland.

The final day of the tour was spent with the Iceland Ocean Cluster, where the group was presented with cutting edge bio-tech and research projects aimed to create more value from Iceland's fisheries. In the afternoon, the group toured Lysi in Reykjavík, and Codland and Vísir Seafood in Grindavík.

It is hoped that this experience will strengthen our relationships and open up for discussions on the potential for further development in fisheries. After this study tour, participants should be better able to evaluate how their institutions may benefit from the capacity building activities of the UNU-FTP. Over the years, many senior administrators and policy makers have been asking for such a trip to Iceland. The UNU-FTP has been promoting regional and even international cooperation among the partners of the UNU-FTP, and this tour was a good opportunity for that type of networking.