Icelandic big guns coming to Grimsby

ICELAND is sending five of its leading Government and diplomatic figures to the Humber Seafood Summit in Grimsby later this month, giving the event a significant boost.
The Reykjavik delegation will be led by Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson, the Icelandic Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, and Thordur Aegir Oskarsson, the Icelandic Ambassador to the UK. The previous ambassador has now taken up a new diplomatic post in Denmark.
Also coming to the summit on 17-18 September is Helga Sigurros Valgeirsdottir, political advisor to the Fisheries Minister and Gudny Karadottir, the Director of Promote Iceland, and Eyrun Hafsteinsdottir Commercial Officer, Embassy of Iceland  in London.
The visit is partly down to the long standing business relationship between Steve Norton, chief executive of the Grimsby Fish Merchants Association, and Benedikt Jonnsson, the previous Icelandic Ambassador to Britain who has now taken up a similar diplomatic post in Denmark.
Norton said: ‘I had asked Benedikt to attend and he agreed. He then found out he was leaving and realising the importance of this event he arranged for his successor to be there.
‘The delegation will certainly be very welcome and will add to this already very important event. I am sure many people will want to speak to the Ambassador and to the Fisheries Minister.
He added: ‘The Minister is coming as a result of a conversation he had a while ago with Stuart Gill, the UK Ambassador to Iceland, who of course has been to Grimsby.
As processors in Grimsby and Hull buy most of their whitefish from Iceland, the visit takes on a special significance.
Iceland also has considerable fish processing investment in Grimsby through Seachill, makers of the Saucy Fish products, and Coldwater Seafoods.