"I will never be an islander" : Grímsey, small island north of Iceland

• Main Author: Monika Margrét Stefánsdóttir 1978-
• Other Authors: Háskólinn á Akureyri
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Þjóðfélagsfræði; Grímsey; Lífskjör; Félagslegar aðstæður; Samfélags- og hagþróunarfræði; Akureyri; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/5867

Grímsey is an island north of Iceland where around 60 people live all year long but more people are there over summer time. Life there has centered on the fishery but tourism has been growing there the last few years. The fishing quota has changed in Iceland, and because of this it is getting harder for islanders to live on Grímsey. As a result people have been moving away from the island for the last 2 – 3 years. However, people do not want to move away and they are willing to do what they can to enable a life on Grímsey in the future. It is expensive to manage the school and the instruction has to be as good as possible, despite being in such small place. The school offers teaching for children to 13 years old. After that they have to move to the mainland for last two years to finish school. There are not many activities for children both over summer and wintertime and it is hard to offer more because there are so few children that live on Grímsey of such different ages. Overall, people are contented with the offered adult activities on the island. Work other than fishery or tourism is not diverse and especially women in certain age do not have jobs that suit them. The few that are offered in Grímsey are part time jobs. Service is getting much better to Grímsey and then especially in travel to and from Grímsey to the mainland both in flight and with the ferry. Service on the island is getting much better after the restaurant and the new guesthouse came there. The service is much better in the store as well. The merger with Akureyri makes people hope it is getting better for the island that they are under this big city because they have to get all their services from the mainland in Akureyri in most cases. In the end Grímsey residents are happy about their island and about their home and practicality is what holds them together and their spirit and desire to live on their island is priceless.