Iceland’s fishing industry helps deliver ‘no’ to EU talks

Icelanders have narrowly rejected a proposal to reopen membership talks with the European Union, with concerns over fishing rights and national sovereignty emerging as key factors behind the result.

The “no” side won 52.5% of the vote against 47.5%, with around 12,600 votes separating the two camps. Turnout was reported at 82.5%, the highest in an Icelandic vote since the 2009 parliamentary election.

The result is a setback for Brussels, where many had expected Icelanders to support renewed accession talks. But the campaign highlighted the importance of fisheries to the country’s economy and national identity.

Fishing accounts for around 40% of Iceland’s exports and 8% of its GDP. EU membership would require Iceland to join the bloc’s Common Fisheries Policy, potentially giving fishing fleets from other member states access to Icelandic waters and its valuable cod and haddock stocks.

Whaling also became part of the debate. Iceland is one of only three countries that still commercially hunt whales, alongside Japan and Norway. EU membership would have put further pressure on the practice because the bloc bans trade in whale products.

The debate echoed Britain’s experience before and after Brexit. British fishermen had long argued that EU vessels were taking too much from UK waters, while supporters of Brexit promised that leaving the bloc would restore control over fisheries.

But the issue remains politically sensitive. Last year, Britain agreed to allow EU fishing vessels continued access to its waters for 12 years as part of a broader deal aimed at improving access to the EU Single Market.

Iceland already has access to the Single Market through the European Economic Area and is part of the Schengen area, while retaining control over its fisheries and independent trade policy. It also has trade relations with countries including China.

The result suggests that, despite economic arguments in favour of EU membership, many Icelanders remain unwilling to give up control over resources they see as central to their national identity and sovereignty.

For now, Iceland appears comfortable with its position between full EU membership and complete separation from the bloc.