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2020 ICELANDIC FISHERIES BURSARY AWARDS WINNERS
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The winners of the 2020 Icelandic Fisheries Bursary Awards were announced at a ceremony held at the Ocean Cluster House in Reykjavík. Following the 2014 Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition, the organisers of the exhibition recognised the need to re-invest in the future of the fishing sector and introduced bursaries awarded to those currently in education within the fishing sector. The first bursaries were awarded in 2017. Presented by Mercator Media events director Marianne Rasmussen-Coulling, the two 2020 winners, both students at the Icelandic College of Fisheries in Grindavík, were awarded ISK500,000 towards their respective courses. The first winner Eydís Gróa Jónsdóttir is studying quality control within the fishing sector and the second winner, Kristófer Már Gunnarsson, is studying quality control and aquaculture. “In this all-important industry not only to Iceland but to the world as a whole, it is crucial to educate and bring on younger generations to continue successful and sustainable commercial fisheries, fish farming, and seafood processing/value added sector. Mercator is honoured to be able to help with this through these yearly grants,” Marianne Rasmussen-Coulling commented. “Altogether eight of our students have now received generous grants from the IceFishfund since it was founded by Mercator Media/The Icelandic 6 | APRIL 2020
8 Award recipients Kristófer Már Gunnarsson (left) and Eydís Gróa Jónsdóttir (right) with Mercator Media events director Marianne RasmussenCoulling and Icelandic College of Fisheries head Ólafur Jón Arnbjörnsson
Fisheries Exhibition three years ago,” said Ólafur Jón Arnbjörnsson, head of the Icelandic College of Fisheries. “I can’t stress enough the importance of these grants for the students, but also for the recognition of education and training in this industry. I’m truly grateful for The Icelandic Fisheries Bursary Awards and how they put focus on the significance of skills and emphasis on initial training for the industry, a level of education so often neglected but so often proven basis for real progress in the world of commercial fishing and fish processing.” Eydís Gróa Jónsdóttir commented that the bursary has made it possible for her to complete her studies. “The Icelandic Fisheries Bursary Awards have a significant meaning for me, so I‘m genuinely grateful for being chosen by the board.” “I’m studying both quality control and aquaculture and the Icelandic Fisheries Bursary Awards cover almost all tuition and makes up for having to take time off from work,” said Kristófer Már Gunnarsson. “So I’m delighted that the Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition decided to support promising students with the Awards and I guarantee that I’ll use it well.“
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