Cod Day in the North Atlantic

The Iceland Ocean Cluster is proud to celebrate the cod on October 3rd, its iconic species, and the innovative successes that have occurred through increased utilization efforts.

"The Incredible Fish Value Machine” displays how Icelanders have produced “an industry fishing machine” which takes pride in the fact that no other whitefish nation is utilizing more of each fish than Icelanders. While in typical North Atlantic fisheries the head, gut and bones of every cod are discarded, in Icelandic fisheries we have become used to making money out of many of these by-products. Analysis done by the Iceland Ocean Cluster indicates that Icelanders utilize 80%+ of each cod while many neighboring countries make full use of only around 50%. The study indicates over 500 thousand tonnes of cod are discarded into the sea or as waste in the Barents Sea region and across the North Atlantic from Newfoundland to Norway."

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Cod day will be celebrated in the Iceland Ocean Cluster House and at the Old Harbor in Reykjavík on the 3rd of October. The cod day is held for the fourth time and the Ocean Cluster House is open to all interested guests on that day from 14:00-17:00.

Our companies and other partners of the Iceland Ocean Cluster in the cod industry will showcase their cutting-edge technologies. Guests will have the opportunity to taste a wide range of different foods and dietary supplements, get acquainted with companies and entrepreneurs in different sectors, ranging from high-tech industry to fashion design. About 30 companies will showcase their products and technology and offer guests a variety of delicious and original dishes.

Cod, its products and technology related to fishing and its processing are subject to export earnings of at least 100 billion Icelandic krona per year. By celebrating the cod day, the intention is to remind us of the importance of cod for Iceland until now. Showing to the guests the incredibly diverse products derived from cod and what Icelandic companies and the research and university community have been successful in maximizing quality, utilization and the price of this important resource.

Also the restaurant Bergsson RE, located in the Ocean Cluster House and seafood restaurants in Granda Mathöll and Hlemmi Mathöll, will have the cod in the foreground on their menu this day. Companies in and around the Old Harbor are invited to participate in the day with us and people are encouraged to visit the exhibition about the fishing industry, Fish & Folk – 150 years of fisheries at the Reykjavík Maritime Museum.