Structure of Icelandic Seafood Exporting Sector, and main charac[h]teristics of the export companies

• Main Author: Nína Björg Sæmundsdóttir 1978-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Viðskiptafræði; Sjávarafurðir; Útflutningur; Fiskiðnaður; Sjávarútvegsfyrirtæki; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/14710

The seafood industry has played an important role for the Icelandic nation and in its economic development. It has been one of its most valuable export sectors. The main object of this research is to describe the current structure of the Icelandic seafood exporting sector and the main characteristics of the export companies. A secondary object is to compare it to findings made by Dr. Arnar Bjarnason from 1994. To reach the aims of the study both qualitative and quantitative methods were used. The principal findings were firstly that year end 2012 only 26 out of the 60 firms in Arnar Bjarnasons study were still operating the same way as in 1992. Secondly most of the firms in this study were located in or around the capital area of Iceland and between 10 and 29 years of age. Most would be considered to be small or medium sized and had less than 5 employees involved in direct marketing. Further most of them had initiated their exporting activities within the first year of operations. The majority of these firms were owned by 3 owners or less. Most of the participating companies had had an ongoing relationship with their longest lasting customer for between 11-20 years. As to how firms were reaching customers, most used various methods though intriguingly enough 73% claimed that the customer reached out for them and not vice versa. Vast majority further stated that they could receive new clients. Less than half of the participating firms were only in the business of exporting or 22 out of 57. Some of the firms were self sufficient in acquiring raw material. Those that were not used various ways in obtaining raw material. Interestingly enough only a slight majority claimed producing (either themselves or by the use of a contractor) as well as exporting. Most of the firms were exporting to relatively few markets, mostly to N/W-Europe with the United Kingdom as the principal market. Despite the ending of the monopoly conditions most firms had, since then, not changed how they exported. And finally a vast majority ...