Who decides the quality of our lives?
Vigdís Häsler, project manager at IAOF, reflects on quality of life, regional development, and the need for predictable frameworks for sustainable aquaculture in an article published in Morgunblaðið.
“Who wants to live here?!” my traveling companion sighed as we stepped off the coach in Þórshöfn on Langanes during one of my many trips around the country. A local man greeted us and explained what was happening in the municipality. As we walked the elementary school corridors, he told us he worked there as a teaching assistant. “Aren’t you also in the police?” I asked. “Sure,” he replied proudly, “and I fill in for the gym teacher when needed, and I run a workshop service for farmers and others who need assistance…”
His words recalled the African proverb many of us know: “It takes a village to raise a child.” That idea is often invoked when we talk about building family-friendly communities where children can grow up safely, supported by a network of people who take on many roles—just as the resident of Þórshöfn described. In places like this, people help each other and contribute where needed because they understand what it takes to build social infrastructure and maintain regional stability.
We are moving forward
Predictability and a fair regulatory framework are key prerequisites for companies to trust that investing in aquaculture—and creating long-term jobs—is worthwhile. Those jobs have had a positive impact on regional development and value creation in the Westfjords, Eastfjords and South Iceland. That is indisputable, and much of this progress has occurred without major public-sector spending.
Aquaculture is the growth area of Icelandic food production. The sector is evolving quickly: technological advances touch every part of the industry, from feed to processing. Few industries worldwide see as rapid and continuous innovation as aquaculture, whether at sea or on land. In Iceland, public institutions (MAST, Fiskistofa, Matís, UOST, etc.) draw on the expertise of domestic and international specialists to improve technology and methods so the sector can expand in harmony with the environment and with society.
Is Sigrún to decide on Ægir’s quality of life
One member of parliament recently urged us to view the country as a whole—one nation in which value creation would be considered across regions. That’s a good principle. But the intense, often negative public debate surrounding recent aquaculture development and the draft bill for new law on aquaculture raises concerns that such rhetoric has become hollow. The debate creates real insecurity for people who expect their municipalities and communities to benefit from new, profitable projects. Still, sensible projects continue to secure financing. According to a PwC report from September 2025, aquaculture companies in Iceland invested over 72 billion ISK in the last three years and have announced plans totalling around 400 billion ISK.
These investments matter because there are worrying signs in the national economy. In such times we should not underestimate the “holy trinity” that anchors the Icelandic economy: investment, job creation and export earnings. Local elections are approaching. Some voters worry about winter service manual that was never needed, overflowing bins and few parking spaces; others focus on infrastructure development and the jobs and value creation that a growing industry can bring—an industry that has the potential to become one of the main pillars of the Icelandic economy.
Yet instead of looking at the bigger picture, too many debates pit the residents of the capital area against those who live in the rural parts of Iceland. Ægir, for instance, who lives in the Westfjords and works in fish farming, must respond to criticism from people like Sigrún—criticism often rooted in propaganda rather than informed discussion, revealing a lack of understanding about rural job opportunities. Individual mindsets and attitudes about economic quality of life must change for the good of the nation. After all, Sigrún does not—and should not—decide Ægir’s quality of life.