COD, SUÐUREYRI

© 2024 Elisa Debora Hofmann

“Cod is God” in the Westfjords where the fish is abundant. Cod is the backbone of the region’s fishery exports and its skin is used for medical treatment of human wounds. Overfishing gave rise to a contentious quota system and climate change may affect fish stocks and conditions at sea.

The smell of fish is omnipresent in Suðureyri, a small fishing village on a narrow fjord. Cod is what the fishers are mainly landing here, as elsewhere in the Westfjords. Human life in the Westfjords, and the viability of its small coastal communities, has long depended on its rich fishing grounds. Drying shacks, still found in large numbers in the region, are witness of an era when people salted and dried the fish to conserve it. Cooling technology transformed these practices, gave rise to new products, and increased exports. This, in turn, created more income and jobs.

The landing of fish is no longer a matter of course in coastal villages around Iceland. In the second half of the 20^th century, fish stocks were heavily disputed between nations and severely overfished. International law of the sea and the introduction of a quota system in Icelandic fisheries addressed these problems. The quota system, however, had strong repercussions as quotas accumulated in the hands of the wealthy few [36]. As business logic replaced what fishers historically governed through cooperatives, many harbors are less vibrant nowadays [Interviews 3, 9]. In addition, new challenges appear on the horizon. Climate change increases sea temperatures, which may lead fish stocks shift further offshore [37]. A changing climate also makes the weather less predictable and alters storm patterns, with implications for safe operation of fishing vessels at sea [38]. 

Scientific research mirrors the importance of cod. Biological monitoring of fish stocks provides the basis for decisions about fishing quotas [Interview 2]. Moreover, scientists have studied different ecotypes of cod that behave differently as they either stay near the coast or venture out into the sea in search for food. While fishers have long claimed that different types of cod existed [Interview 2], scientific confirmation of the genetics behind them followed only recently [39], [40]. Yet, research on cod goes well beyond biology. Social scientists have critically examined the effects of the Icelandic quota system. They have shown that the system has created economic concentration in the fishery sector, which has weakened rural communities [36], [41]. They have further argued that quota-setting lacks input on social aspects [42], disregards local knowledge about fish stocks [43], and creates injustices that disadvantage current and future generations of small-scale fishers [44], [45]. With respect to future changes, scientists model storm patterns under climate change and gather fishers’ knowledge on operating conditions at sea. This work shows that uncertainty is big but that experiences of fishers—and their transmission to the next generation—are vital for adapting to climate change [38].

Research also shapes the value that a fish like cod has for society. Kerecis, a company based in Ísafjörður, has developed medical products that use fish skin for human wound healing. The use of intact cod skin in human medicine saves lives by healing chronic wounds, for instance, of patients suffering from diabetes [Interview 7]. This innovation is part of a broader effort in Nordic fisheries to utilize rest raw material [46], which adds value to the fishery industry and the resource itself, supporting its sustainable management. To secure the future of the fish skin technology, researchers monitor the occurrence of diseases in fish as new species spread to the warming waters around the Westfjords [Interview 4]. Corporate research and development is also developing and testing new products to advance wound healing further compared to other technologies [47]. In doing so, it creates new economic perspectives rooted in the past fishing tradition of the place.