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Past Event
Seminar

Seminar with Mr. Jóhann Sigurjónsson, Iceland's Special Envoy on Ocean Affairs

RSVP Required Open to the Public

The Arctic Initiative will host a seminar, "Is sustainable management of marine resources sufficient to meet increasing global demand for fish? The Icelandic story of relying on scientific policymaking to ensure sustainable fish stocks" with Mr. Jóhann Sigurjónsson, Iceland's Special Envoy on Ocean Affairs and a former Director General of Iceland's Marine Research Institute, discussing Icelandic resource management and science-based policy.

The seminar will be held in the Marc Heng and Family Conference Room (Wex 102).  Lunch will be served.  RSVP is required as space is limited.

Date: Time: - Location: Harvard Kennedy School
Mr. Jóhann Sigurjónsson

About

In a world of diminishing fishery resources, Iceland's fish stocks thrive in a relatively sustainable way. The key to this success is science-based policymaking, in which Iceland's independent Marine Research serves as a steady cornerstone.

In this talk, Mr. Jóhann Sigurjónsson, Iceland's Special Envoy on Ocean Issues and a former Director General of Iceland's Marine Research Institute, shares lessons from Iceland on resource management. He will provide insights into how science-based policymaking became respected in Icelandic politics, despite coinciding with an era in which short-term economic gains and pressure from commercial interests continues to grow.

Mr. Jóhann Sigurjónsson is Iceland's Special Envoy on Ocean Affairs and a former Director General of Iceland's Marine Research Institute. As Director General of MRI, he was the chief adviser to the Government of Iceland on fish and whale stocks around Iceland and on marine science policy and longterm utilization strategies of fish stocks. In addition to serving as the Government’s chief adviser in this field for decades, Mr. Sigurjónsson leads Iceland's participation in international fishery management fora, including activities under the UN umbrella.

He is currently co-chair of the Arctic Council Task Force on Arctic Marine Cooperation and has been involved in activities of ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) as expert and member of Council and Bureau (vice-president) over a period of 25 years. He was the first chairman of NAMMCO Scientific Committee in 1993-95.

Mr. Sigurjónsson holds degrees from Wayne State College, the University of Iceland (BSc biology) and the University of Oslo (Cand. Real., marine zoology) and has published more than 80 scientific articles on marine mammals and fisheries. In 2015, Mr. Sigurjónsson was awarded the President of Iceland’s Knight's Cross of the Order of the Falcon for his service ocean issues

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