Most Icelanders think the fishing industry is corrupt but not so corrupt that the authorities should do much about it, according to a recent survey by the Social Science Research Institute of the University of Iceland for the Ministry of Food, examining the country’s fishery management system. The survey of 1,133 citizens determined that most Icelanders think the fishing industry created value for too few. More than half (56%) of the survey’s respondents “strongly” or “rather strongly” disapprove of the current state of affairs in Iceland’s second most important export industry (after raw aluminum), while around a quarter (22.5%) reported “strong” or “rather strong” satisfaction. Nevertheless, the majority also feels that fixing the problem should be near the bottom of the list of current government priorities.
Those with “little knowledge” of the industry and those with “much knowledge” had about the same shares of negative or positive views, according to the results. The survey was stratified by age, gender, and residence, in addition to knowledge of the industry. The majority (58%) of the population of all regions and age groups agree on the importance of fishing, but in Reykjavík, one-third said they disagreed. As for what government should do about it, respondents were asked to rank six systems – health, fisheries, transportation, welfare, education, and agriculture – according to where the most needed reforms are considered. The decisive majority (67%) answered: healthcare. Only 10% put the fishing industry first.