ARCTIC, ANTARCTIC, AND ALPINE RESEARCH © 
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Figure 4. The GK 57 trawler in high waves in the south of Iceland. Photo credit: Jön Steinar Sa@mundsson. 
harbor. Large temperature fluctuations were linked in 
informants’ minds to increased unpredictability, which 
in turn impacts at-sea operations. Small-scale fishers 
noted a decrease in the number of fishing trips in one 
fishing year due to bad weather and storm events that 
force the boats to stay in the harbor. As an example, one 
longline fisher mentioned that they used to be normal to 
go on fifteen fishing trips in thirty days in the months of 
December and January; however, due to increasing stor- 
miness the number of fishing trips has decreased to ten 
per month. 
Though having to avoid storms by either staying in 
‘he harbor or sheltering in the fjord can lead to tempor- 
ary loss of income for both large- and small-scale fish- 
eries, there are other risks associated with storminess. In 
moderately stormy weather a captain may make the 
decision to go out to sea, even in waves 4 to 5 m high. 
It was noted that the catch decreases during bad weather 
because fish can be lost off the lines. Damage to fishing 
ınfrastructure can also occur in harbor during a storm. 
There have been incidents where the harbor areas were 
ooded due to a combination of a low-pressure system 
and especially high spring tides, causing damage to port 
electricity and other infrastructure that, in turn, affected 
provisions for necessary facilities and services for boats. 
In sea pen aquaculture, damage due to icing during 
storms creates a financial risk for the aquaculture com- 
panies. In one recent case, a heavy storm caused icy 
buildup around the pens that damaged the nets. In 
another incident, a storm caused an electricity outage 
on a land-based aquaculture site, which led to a high fish 
mortality rate due to impeded nutrient circulation. 
Furthermore, as one informant emphasized, a failure 
of the equipment during an extreme weather event or 
storm can also have adverse effects on the company’s 
public image if the failure causes an economic or envir- 
onmental risk. An aquaculture stakeholder noted that 
the equipment used for aquaculture pens can 
surprisingly withstand quite bad weather conditions. 
At the same time, another noted that decreased quality 
of fish was observed in pens located farther outside the 
Hord in a site more exposed to extreme weather condi- 
ions. Furthermore, if storms become more intense and 
Irequent, staff might be sent out to repair the damage to 
ens during unfavorable weather conditions, which 
increases the risk of personal injuries at sea, 
Indeed, for all operations at sea, a major concern is 
he safety of the crew. All informants agreed that storm- 
zelated accidents at sea have decreased over time due to 
he availability of improved equipment and a well- 
developed weather forecasting system. Furthermore, 
he requirement of all those working at sea to attend 
safety school greatly minimizes the risk to maritime 
workers. Good forecasting and safety training, together 
with the increased willingness of Icelandic fishers to 
contact the Coast Guard in risk situations, has led to 
a decreasing number of rescue missions. However, the 
Coast Guard noted that assistance missions have 
.ncreased over time, which is partially due to storm- 
celated problems but is also due to other issues such as 
ired sailors who run aground or failed equipment. It 
was also mentioned in the interviews that decisions to go 
aut in stormy weather are often made because of (in the 
wording of informants) greed and competition among 
Aishing crews. 
External threats and problems 
Related to the general areas of impacts listed above, 
informants identified several threats and problems in 
äsheries and aquaculture that have connections to 
storm events. Informants agreed that the fact that storms 
are becoming more intense and frequent is only one part 
of climate change that should not be considered by itself 
but as part of a combination of climate-related threats. 
Many informants were concerned about the compound 
effects of rising sea temperature and fish stock