Reporting from the villages of East Iceland and on everything that concerns the region. Updated daily.
Árni Bergsson, a member of the Brimrún rescue team in Eskifjörður, fought for Brimrún rescue team members to take a swiftwater rescue course following a death at Stuðlagil this summer. No one in the region held such qualifications this summer, so specialists had to be called in from Reykjavík when a man fell into the river and died.
Read the story →The festival has been held since the turn of the millennium. Numerous events are scheduled in East Iceland in connection with the festival.
Gylfi Þór Sigurðsson, a Víkingur player, was in talks in 2024 with KFA, which was then playing in the men’s 2nd division. Eggert Gunnþór Jónsson, then the team’s player-assistant coach, tried to convince Gylfi to move to East Iceland.
A brand-new, state-of-the-art Komatsu excavator has recently drawn considerable attention in Seyðisfjörður. Not so much the excavator itself, perhaps, as its highly unusual colours. It is no coincidence that the machine was delivered on Pink Day itself, 21 October, on which day, and indeed throughout the month, everyone in the country is especially encouraged to wear pink in order to…
Up to sixty percent of the herring arriving at Loðnuvinnslan in Fáskrúðsfjörður is now Icelandic summer-spawning herring. Plant manager Magnús Ásgrímsson says processing is going well in the new building.
Síldarvinnslan’s fish processing plant in Neskaupstaður has received 23,000 tonnes of herring so far this season. Síldarvinnslan’s website states that five thousand tonnes remain to be caught.
The Days of Darkness festival began in Fjarðabyggð over the weekend and runs until Halloween next Saturday. During this time the dark season is met with lights, art and live stories, with fifteen events on the programme in all.
Four boys and all the girls attended a cooking course at Eskifjarðarskóli in the autumn of 1953. Þorsteinn Skúlason won a prize for his recipe book, and the trophy still adorns his dining table.
Guðröður Hákonarson, often known as Gurri, of Hildibrand in Neskaupstaður, received the East Iceland tourism encouragement award, Klettur, at the association’s autumn meeting last week. It is a recognition for having been a powerful driving force in the development of tourism in Neskaupstaður.
Blængur NK came in with 620 tonnes after a 26-day fishing trip. The catch was worth ISK 507 million, even though autumn storms disrupted the fishing.
The board of the Association of Municipalities in East Iceland (SSA) demands that the government drop the planned changes to the discount terms of Loftbrú and instead ensure sufficient funding to strengthen support for the scheme.
Loftbrúin (the Air Bridge) was established in 2020 to improve access for rural residents to centralised services and to strengthen rural communities.
The first exploratory drilling for hot water in Borgarfjörður eystri in about 50 years was carried out by HEF-veitur a short while ago, but, as had been expected beforehand, the preliminary results give little cause for optimism.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office has issued a yellow warning for increased risk of landslides and rockfall in Austfirðir, East Iceland as far as Glettingur, and on Tröllaskagi. The warning is in effect until noon tomorrow.
The Association of Municipalities in East Iceland objects to the planned change to the Loftbrú scheme. The cut is an attack on living conditions in rural areas, it says.
The Association of Municipalities in East Iceland (SSA) strongly objects to the planned changes to Loftbrú and demands that the government drop its plans to replace the current percentage-based subsidy of airfares with a fixed amount in krónur.
The freezer trawler Blængur NK arrived in Neskaupstaður yesterday after a 26-day fishing trip. The vessel’s catch was 620 tonnes gutted. On the company’s website, the value of the catch is stated as ISK 507 million.
The freezer trawler Blængur NK arrived in Neskaupstaður yesterday after a 26-day fishing trip, most of it in rough weather. The vessel nevertheless landed 620 tonnes, with a catch value estimated at about ISK 507 million.
The risk of landslides and rockfalls has increased because of heavy rainfall in the Eastfjords, and the Icelandic Road Administration has reported a landslide that fell onto the road at Njarðvíkurskriður.
The fishing trip took 26 days and the catch was mostly cod and haddock, but also golden redfish, saithe and other species
It was announced on the Government Offices website on 23 October that from 1 January 2027 the Loftbrú discount will be a fixed amount, ISK 7,000 per flight leg, instead of 40% of the fare. As a result, the average subsidy per flight leg falls by just under a quarter, and the state’s total subsidies for the scheme fall from about ISK 740 million to about ISK 560 million.
The Fjarðabyggð municipal council strongly protests the planned changes to Loftbrú (the Air Bridge) and calls on the government to drop the plans. The council says cutting airfare subsidies is an unacceptable attack on living conditions in rural areas.
Kaldvík’s lenders have extended the waiver of loan covenants until 3 pm on Wednesday, 28 October. Talks on the company’s financing continue.
On 6 February 2024 a storm swept across the Eastfjords, and the farmers at Vattarnes were hit especially hard. In one small spot the wind intensified and caused major damage to a residential house and sheep sheds. The roof of the outbuildings was blown off in one piece and then shattered in another …
Winds will pick up around 7 pm this evening from the northwest in the Eastfjords, and gusts could reach up to 35 m/s in wind streams near mountains, for example in Hamarfjörður.
Stefán Skafti Steinólfsson. Dear readers. The assault on Hamarsdalur in the old Djúpavogshreppur, now Múlaþing, continues. The decision by the minister of energy and the environment and the Althing to move the proposed power plant plans in Hamarsdalur from the protection category into …
Staff at the Housing and Construction Authority (HMS) have for some time been working to estimate the property boundaries of farms across the country where no surveyed delineation exists. The authority has now published draft boundaries for a total of 1,160 farms in Northeast and East Iceland.
The electric vehicle charging stations that the municipality of Fjarðabyggð installed some time ago and has operated since will be decommissioned, following a decision by the planning and construction committee. The stations’ equipment has become obsolete and they have mostly stopped working and generating revenue.
Lenders of the fish farming company Kaldvík have further extended the company’s temporary waiver from certain loan terms, although the deadline was due to expire today.
Lenders of sea-cage fish farming company Kaldvík have extended further the deadline of the company’s temporary waiver from its loan terms. The deadline was due to expire today but has been extended until Wednesday.
KFA (Knattspyrnufélag Austfjarða) has issued a statement after Höttur withdrew from the cooperation under the FHL banner in women’s football.
Over a million salmon died in sea pens in Iceland in September. A department head says the vast majority died in Reyðarfjörður, because of jellyfish plaguing them.
Ingibjörg Isaksen, Progressive Party MP for the Northeast constituency, says Loftbrú is about evening out the situation between the capital area and the countryside. She is concerned that decisions are being thrown out without involving the municipalities and rural areas. She wants to see the Minister of Infrastructure “back down from this decision” to use a fixed krónur amount instead of a percentage.
The board and managing director of Knattspyrnufélag Austfjarða in Fjarðabyggð have issued a statement expressing regret over the decision by Höttur in Egilsstaðir to end the cooperation on the FHL women’s team.
The planned cuts to Loftbrú are an unacceptable attack on living conditions in rural areas, according to the Fjarðabyggð town council. It calls on the government to drop the plans immediately and instead to strengthen support for air passengers who are forced to travel to the capital area for essential services.
Menningarstofa Fjarðabyggðar (the Fjarðabyggð Cultural Centre) and the newly founded National Opera have signed a three-year declaration of intent on continued cooperation on opera performances, education and the development of musical activity in East Iceland. This, they say, would increase residents’ access to opera and create more opportunities for musicians in the region.
Lenders to the aquaculture company Kaldvík have extended the company’s temporary waiver from certain loan terms until the end of today.
Eyjólfur Ármannsson, Minister of Infrastructure, has indicated that the planned cut in the airfare subsidy for rural residents to ISK 7,000 per flight leg will be reconsidered and may be raised to ISK 9,000. The minister’s ideas have drawn heavy criticism from many quarters, but an increase of ISK 2,000 on the earlier proposal is seen by many as no great concession.
Jónína Brynjólfsdóttir, president of the Múlaþing municipal council, welcomes plans to increase funding for Loftbrú but says she does not like the planned changes to the subsidy system. She believes the current arrangement, in which the state subsidises 40% of airfares, is far more sensible than a fixed amount in krónur.
Two new staff members have been hired at the Tjarnarskógur preschool in Egilsstaðir, where a severe staff shortage at the start of the school year greatly limited how many children could be admitted. Everything now looks to be improving, although the preschool still needs to advertise for staff.
The valuation of the fish farming company Kaldvík has been cut by almost a third following operating difficulties, a weakening cash position and rising financing costs. Analysts consider the company’s financial position heavy after major setbacks in recent months, but expect operations to begin recovering next year.
The mayor of Múlaþing says the addition to Loftbrú, announced yesterday by the infrastructure minister, is not what people are calling for. Not everyone can live in Reykjavík, and rural residents’ access to services must be made more equal.
We who live in East Iceland help fund the nation’s shared services just like everyone else. A large share of those services and that activity is in the capital area. Many of the state’s main institutions are there, and that is where we go to get a wide range of services, cultural events and sports activities. Residents of other parts of the country who live far from Reykjavík face a similar situation.
Jóna Árný Þórðardóttir, town and port director of Fjarðabyggð, was elected the new chair of the Icelandic Ports Association on Friday. She takes over from Lúðvík Geirsson and is the very first woman to hold the post.
“I find this a very sad matter and I urge the infrastructure minister to withdraw these ideas,” says Njáll Trausti Friðbertsson, Independence Party MP for the Northeast constituency, about infrastructure minister Eyjólfur Ármannsson’s planned changes to Loftbrú.
Jens Garðar Helgason, vice-chair of the Independence Party and the party’s MP for the Northeast Constituency, says it did not surprise him that the Minister of Infrastructure has already begun considering a review of the changed rules on Loftbrú.
As previously reported, a new SPAR store is due to open in the Kjörbúðin premises in Neskaupstaður in the middle of next month. To make that go as smoothly as possible, the existing stock must be cleared, which is why all the store’s products are now 50% off for the next few days.
It is unbelievable to watch how the government seems to be systematically making it harder and more expensive to live in rural areas. Now Loftbrú is to be cut, leaving rural residents with a fixed discount of ISK 7,000 per flight leg instead of a 40% discount. The government calls this a change of arrangement. The rest of us simply call it what…
“This changes nothing. Of course I welcome that he is reconsidering this decision, but it is still a cut to Loftbrú, and we simply think it is a crazy course for him to take while also raising the kilometre charge. Proportionally, East Icelanders will be hit by far the worst by this, and it is simply a huge step backwards.”
The first haul yielded about 450 tonnes, but less was caught in the following ones. The skipper says the share of Icelandic summer-spawning herring in the catch is growing.
The school complex in Reyðarfjörður, a football hall, a sports hall and school buildings will be heated by burning wood pellets. Construction of Tandraorka’s new heating plant is well advanced.
There is widespread anger in East Iceland over planned changes to Loftbrú, which Infrastructure Minister Eyjólfur Ármannsson presented yesterday.
The Minister of Infrastructure announced yesterday changes to the Loftbrú scheme that take effect from the new year. The chair of the Association of Municipalities in East Iceland says the changes are a slap in the face for residents of rural areas.
The chief executive of Múlaþing says she is disappointed and hurt by the government’s plans to change the discounted air fares for rural residents. She criticises the lack of consultation and says this is yet another blow to the countryside.
The municipal director of Múlaþing says she is disappointed and hurt by the government’s plans to change the discounted air fares for rural residents. She criticises the lack of consultation and says this is yet another blow for rural areas.
Ingvar Þóroddsson, Viðreisn MP for the Northeast constituency, opposes the government’s change to the Loftbrú arrangement as it was presented yesterday. Mbl.is reports.
Ingvar Þóroddsson, a Reform Party (Viðreisn) MP for the Northeast constituency, opposes the government’s change to the Loftbrú arrangement.
“This is yet another blow to rural areas,” says Jónína Brynjólfsdóttir, chair of the Múlaþing council.
The Housing and Construction Authority (HMS) has finished estimating the property boundaries of about 1,150 farms in Northeast Iceland and East Iceland. The farms cover about 20 thousand square kilometres, and with the new data, property boundaries have been estimated in areas equivalent to about 83% of Iceland’s total area.
For those of us who live far from the capital, it matters that we can easily access services there without such trips causing unnecessary financial worries. It is fundamental that where people live does not determine their ability to use the services that have been built up in the capital for all citizens. Domestic flights play a key role in this. The infrastructure minister’s announced changes in connection with…
Jóna Árný Þórðardóttir, municipal and harbour director of Fjarðabyggð, is the first woman to serve as chair of the Icelandic Ports Association (Hafnarsamband Íslands). She was elected chair at the association’s annual congress, which ended today.
The chair of the Association of Municipalities in East Iceland (SSA) says that changing the Loftbrú subsidies from a percentage to a fixed króna amount is a reduction in quality of life in rural areas. He says the infrastructure minister’s remarks are out of touch with people’s reality.
The Vestmannaeyjar trawlers Vestmannaey VE and Bergey VE both landed in Neskaupstaður yesterday after short fishing trips. Both vessels had just under 50 tonnes after spending a little over two days fishing.
It is a busy time today, tomorrow and on Sunday at the Music Centre in Eskifjörður, where the staff of Iceland’s new National Opera are preparing their opening event, the work Undir sömu stjörnu, which is to be performed at 3 pm next Sunday. Well over a hundred people are involved in the large-scale production in one way or another.
The partnership between Fjarðabyggð, Höttur and Leiknir F., known as FHL, in women’s top-division football is now a thing of the past, as Höttur requested that the partnership be ended.
Jóna Árný Þórðardóttir, town manager and port director of Fjarðabyggð, was elected chair of the Icelandic Ports Association (Hafnarsamband Íslands) at the association’s annual congress, which ended today. She is also the first woman to serve as the association’s chair.
Höttur’s basketball department will receive support from the company Vörður tryggingar over the next three years, as the department’s main sponsor. Over the same period, Höttur’s home court at the Íþróttamiðstöð sports centre will be called Varðarhöllin.
Höttur from Egilsstaðir will field a team under its own name in the women’s Lengjudeild football league next season, after ending its partnership with Fjarðabyggð and Leiknir Fáskrúðsfjörður.
The Friends of the Old Church in Djúpivogur association will receive an annual grant of ISK 500,000 from Múlaþing over the next five years for the running and continued restoration of the old church.
Höttur rekstrarfélag, which runs the club’s men’s and women’s first teams in football, has asked to end its partnership with Knattspyrnufélag Austfjarða (KFA) on FHL, which plays in Lengjudeild kvenna, the women’s second tier.
East Iceland District Court has acquitted Fjarðabyggð of a claim by Hrefna Dagbjört Arnardóttir, owner of the farm Óseyri in Stöðvarfjörður, for recognition of the municipality’s liability for damages over livestock trespassing on the farm. Legal costs were waived. Hrefna demanded …
Little has changed in veterinary staffing in the southeast of the country. Shifts have not been filled since 16 August, all the way from Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Breiðdalsvík. The government has done nothing, says the chair of the veterinarians’ association.
Changes will be made to Loftbrú from the start of next year, when a fixed discount on airfares in krónur will be introduced in place of percentages as until now. The Minister of Infrastructure says they want to ensure predictability and keep the project within budget.
Sigþóra Brynja Kristjánsdóttir of UFA and Arnar Pétursson of Breiðablik became Icelandic champions in cross-country running in 2026.
Newly promoted Höttur have two wins under their belt after the first three rounds of the men’s Bónus-deild, after a deserved victory over ÍR in the east tonight.
The ptarmigan hunting season starts tomorrow in all parts of the country. Hunting is permitted from Friday through Tuesday for just under a month, or until Christmas where the season is longest. In South Iceland and Northwest Iceland hunting is allowed until 17 November, in the Westfjords a week longer, until 1 December in West Iceland and Northwest Iceland, and until 22 December in East Iceland. The ptarmigan population is considered strongest there. Hunting…
Höttur won an important victory over Stjarnan in the second round of the men’s Bónus-deild basketball league, in which a new record was set. Obie Trotter became the oldest player to score a three-pointer in the top division in Iceland.
Many are unhappy with the decision by Fjarðabyggð’s planning and construction committee to allocate a plot at Kvíabólsfjara in Neskaupstaður to a new party, after the group Bærinn okkar had been promised the same plot well beforehand and had spent considerable time designing a beautiful bathhouse there and creating good conditions for everyone who takes part in water sports of any kind.
Beitir NK brought 800 tonnes of herring to Neskaupstaður last night. Processing of the catch is expected to finish this evening.
There has been a lot going on at Norðfjarðarkirkja in recent days and weeks, and that continues tonight with a new event that the parish priest calls God on the Big Screen – the Bible’s stories of influence. The very first film to be watched and discussed is the popular but controversial Monty Python’s Life of Brian.
The band Nýdönsk had the unfortunate experience of taking a car by mistake at Egilsstaðir Airport earlier this month. The band had come east to play a concert in Breiðdalsvík and record songs.
Sighvatur GK landed about 75 tonnes in Djúpivogur after a fishing trip in rough weather. The catch came in four sets and was mostly cod.
Support for the Social Democratic Alliance in the Northeast constituency jumps in a new opinion poll. The support the Independence Party gained over the summer is reversed. Four parties are polling enough to win seats in the constituency.
Plans to merge the police districts of East Iceland, South Iceland and the Westman Islands raise serious questions about residents’ safety and the management of policing. Before going any further, the government must show how the changes are meant to improve services here in the east. A larger district is no guarantee of stronger policing.
Þróttur’s women’s volleyball team claimed their first win in the premier league this winter when they beat Þróttur Reykjavík/Blakfélag Hafnarfjarðar in a match that went to a deciding set on Saturday. The team turned a difficult position in the deciding set in their favour.
All seventeen sports and leisure clubs that applied to Fjarðabyggð for grants for their activities have now received allocations totalling ISK 32.5 million, divided among the clubs. The municipality’s total support for sports and leisure activities has increased by 8.4% from last year and now amounts to just under ISK 80 million this year.
The company Aurora Abalone (Sæbýli hf.) has completed an ISK 1.5 billion share capital increase to build up annual production of 100 tonnes.
The person charged with smuggling almost 43 kilos of cocaine, found in their car on arrival in Seyðisfjörður in March, said at the main hearing of the case today that they were none the wiser about the substances found. They could offer no explanation of how such a large quantity came to be carefully hidden in their van. At the time this was by far the largest amount of cocaine ever seized in Iceland, but the strength…
Síldarvinnslan has been processing herring almost continuously since 9 September. More than 9,000 tonnes remain to be caught and processed this season.
Gunnar Lárus Karlsson, who set an impressive new Icelandic record in the Backyard Ultra over the weekend, received a hero’s welcome when he returned home to Reyðarfjörður early this morning after representing Iceland at the Backyard Ultra World Championship, with the Icelandic team’s race held in Elliðaárdalur.
Fjarðabyggð and the company Tanni ferðaþjónusta have agreed to terminate their contract under which Tanni was to provide transport for the municipality’s schoolchildren for the rest of this school year. The reason is that Fjarðabyggð extended its contract with Tanni in good faith, when under the rules a tender should in fact have been held for school transport for the current school year.
Members of parliament and port authorities in Aberdeen, Scotland, have expressed interest in possible ferry sailings between the city and Seyðisfjörður. They hope, however, that the ferry could call at more places.
Gunnar Lárus Karlsson, who broke the Icelandic record in backyard ultra running in style, was given a hero’s welcome when he arrived home in Reyðarfjörður this morning.
Pétur Kristjánsson. For centuries, the residents of the fjord have lived with the many kinds of hazards that close coexistence with nature brings. The hazards are not confined to this fjord, however, and exist worldwide. It has been said that there is enough for everyone in the wor…
Plans to start ferry crossings between Aberdeen in Scotland and Seyðisfjörður are being considered. The Múlaþing municipal manager says, however, that it will be a long time before the idea becomes reality, if everything goes to plan.
The owner of the Óseyri farm near Stöðvarfjörður says all unfenced land in Iceland appears to have been subject to some form of expropriation by a court ruling in his case against Fjarðabyggð. The court found that the municipality had no obligation to round up trespassing sheep from the farm because the animals had come from a shared grazing area.
Plans to launch sailings between the city of Aberdeen in Scotland and Seyðisfjörður are being considered. The municipality is in talks with port authorities there.
The East Iceland Cancer Society is holding a pink event in Egilsstaðir tomorrow evening as part of the Icelandic Cancer Society’s awareness campaign. The East Iceland Cancer Society has received a good response to the campaign.
The East Iceland District Court has acquitted Fjarðabyggð of a claim by a forest farmer in Stöðvarfjörður, who argued that the municipality was obliged to round up sheep that strayed onto their unfenced land. One of the key questions in the case is where the sheep came from before they entered the farmer’s land.
Síldarvinnslan’s fish processing plant has received 21,200 tonnes of herring this season. About 70 percent is Norwegian spring-spawning herring and about 30 percent is Icelandic summer-spawning herring. Nine thousand tonnes remain uncaught.
Six to eight suitable, smaller apartments for people aged 60 and over will most likely be built in the central areas of both Eskifjörður and Fáskrúðsfjörður in the coming months. The Fjarðabyggð town council has approved a draft letter of intent from the municipality on such housing development with the company R101, and the document will be formally signed today.
The freezer-free fresh-fish trawlers Birtingur, Vestmannaey and Bergey all landed in Neskaupstaður on Sunday, 18 October. All of them shortened their trips because of unfavourable weather.
The board of the East Iceland Teachers’ Association criticises changes to the primary school grading system, which replace letter grades with numbers. Education committees in East Iceland have voiced concern about how quickly the switch is due to happen.
Birtingur, Vestmannaey and Bergey landed in Neskaupstaður on Sunday after shortening their fishing trips because of unfavourable weather.
Rás 1 and Rás 2 antenna broadcasts will drop out in parts of Austurland and the East Fjords for a while shortly after eleven o’clock. This happens while Rarik replaces a meter at Gagnheiði. The replacement affects 14 transmitters.
Ragnar Þór Ingólfsson, Minister of Social Affairs and Housing, confirmed yesterday the appointment of a new regional council for coastal zone planning in the East Fjords. Guðjón Bragason, former lawyer at the Icelandic Association of Local Authorities, is the council’s chair.
The municipality of Fjarðabyggð had no legal duty to round up sheep that strayed onto private land and damaged forestry in Stöðvarfjörður. The East Iceland District Court acquitted the municipality of a landowner’s claim that its liability for damages be recognised.
It is just over two months since Héraðsverk workers began the next phase of road construction towards Stuðlagil. Weather conditions have been good, so the work is going well.
Ragnar Þór Ingólfsson, Minister of Social Affairs and Housing, has appointed a regional council for coastal area planning in the East Fjords. The term of appointment runs until after the next parliamentary elections.
Musician Bubbi Morthens wants the state to take the land in Northeast Iceland from billionaire Jim Ratcliffe. Bubbi says the protection of the Icelandic salmon stock is a pretext and that the rivers have become toys.
Höttur won their first game of the season in the men’s premier basketball league when they beat Stjarnan away on Friday evening. The team followed up the win by knocking Fjölnir out of the cup yesterday.
A heated debate erupted on Facebook over the weekend about the holdings and influence of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, who has bought dozens of farms in Northeast Iceland in recent decades. Anglers and musicians Bubbi Morthens and Pálmi Gunnarsson clashed, disagreeing about Ratcliffe and his plans.
The road between Djúpivogur and Höfn í Hornafirði was closed completely after a car was damaged by flying gravel there in the middle of yesterday. An East Iceland rescue team received one call-out as a sharp low-pressure system passed over the country yesterday.
Cooperation between rescue team members and the police special unit meant the search for a man who fell into Stuðlagil in August was successful. The man was found on the riverbed with the help of a camera. A rescue team member who specialises in swiftwater rescue says it matters that people are found, whether alive or dead.
The Ring Road has been closed between Almannaskarðsgöng and Djúpivogur due to strong winds and sand drift. This is stated on the website of the Icelandic Road Administration, Umferðin.is .
The Ring Road has been closed between the Almannaskarð tunnel and Djúpivogur due to strong winds and a sandstorm. The closure remains in place until the weather calms and conditions on the road improve.
Meteorologist Einar Sveinbjörnsson says conditions between Höfn and Djúpivogur will be particularly hazardous this evening because of strong winds. The route is known for frequent and dangerous sudden gusts.
It had been clear from the start that a clear majority of Seyðisfjörður residents were strongly opposed to allowing sea cage fish farming in Seyðisfjörður. The town is thriving in many areas, for example with a large and growing tourism industry, and sea cage farming would harm other industries in the town.
Meteorologist Einar Sveinbjörnsson strongly warns in a Facebook post against being on the road between Höfn í Hornafirði and Djúpivogur tonight. Einar writes:
A southerly and southwesterly storm is forecast for today, with a likelihood of high waves near the coasts in the south and west of the country. Yellow warnings are either in effect or will take effect later today. Road closures are warned of after noon between Höfn and Reyðarfjörður.
This summer’s catch in Jökla broke all records. The river yielded more than 2,300 salmon. Sigurður Guðjónsson, a specialist at Landsvirkjun and former director of the Institute of Freshwater Fisheries (Veiðimálastofnun), says the catch could be even greater in the coming years.
Viðar Örn Hafsteinsson, coach of Höttur, was very pleased after the 103-98 win over Stjarnan in the men’s Bónus-deild tonight. He was especially pleased with how the team responded when Stjarnan managed to work their way back into the game in the fourth quarter.
Two games were played in the men’s Bónusdeild basketball league tonight. Valur hosted the Icelandic champions from Grindavík. Grindavík was the stronger side in the third quarter, but Valur turned the game around in the fourth quarter and won 81-74. Valur has won both of its games this autumn, while Grindavík has yet to pick up a point.
Höttur won a good away victory over Stjarnan, 193:98, in round 2 of the men’s premier basketball league in Garðabær this evening.
Höttur won a thrilling 98-103 victory over Stjarnan in the second round of the men’s Bónus deild tonight. Stjarnan managed to overturn a 15-point lead for the visitors in the fourth quarter, but Höttur were stronger in the closing minutes and secured a strong win.
In connection with the Björgun 2026 conference now taking place in Harpa in Reykjavík, many of the country’s rescue teams have brought their oldest vehicles to the venue. One that has drawn particular attention is the oldest vehicle of the Vopni rescue team in Vopnafjörður. It has been in service with the team for a full 42 years.
Although there are no visitor counters at East Iceland’s newest attraction, the Baugur Bjólfs viewing platform high above Seyðisfjörður, there is no doubt that the spot is a major draw. Many people were there almost daily throughout the summer. Final work is now under way on the car park and the footpath up to the viewing platform
At the end of the month, the subsidies that the Icelandic government has granted to people who have bought an electric car in recent years will be reduced. The subsidies were intended to speed up the shift from petrol and diesel cars to electric cars. Car dealers in East Iceland say most people are aware that the subsidies will drop on 1 November.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office has issued a warning because of a low-pressure system moving quickly across the country on Sunday. It brings strong winds. In East Iceland, however, the wind could pick up as early as tomorrow.
At its core, the problem is that some of the council members at Múlaþing council meeting no. 72 are not clear on the issue of sea cage fish farming in Seyðisfjörður, or on what their duty is in the merged municipality and the local councils.
KPMG has adopted a new grants policy aimed at strengthening its support for community projects in rural areas. The application process has been changed and applications are now open.
Even if Múlaþing bought Valaskjálf to protect the building’s assembly hall and converted the hotel wing into offices, it would not be enough to meet the municipality’s space needs. The municipality could afford the purchase and would stay within the limits of the rules on municipal finances, but operations would be tight.
A brand-new ventilation system is awaited for Fjarðabyggðahöllin in Reyðarfjörður, and the work is due to be finished in the first days of the new year. This will bring proper heating to the building, which has often been called the Ice Palace because of the cold inside.
Stjarnan will be without an American player when the team faces Höttur tomorrow evening in round 2 of the men’s Bónus-deild basketball league, after the decision was made to sack Austin Price.
Kaldvík’s plans for sea-cage farming in Seyðisfjörður have been protested, and according to an opinion poll, a majority of residents there oppose fish farming in the fjord. If the plans went ahead, 10 to 15 jobs would likely be created locally.
Vopnafjörður municipality’s special Friendship Week began last Sunday, the first Friendship Week in the community in about four years. The young people of the village organised the programme themselves from A to Z, and participation by locals has been excellent.
Austurglugginn today publishes an analysis of the financial situation of Menntaskólinn á Egilsstöðum. It has wider relevance, because the school is one of ten that have been ordered to eliminate accumulated deficits in the coming years, and judging by the fiscal plan there appears to be every reason to be concerned about the upper secondary schools. ME’s position is the worst, however, as it must make up for, or repay, a deficit of ISK 300 million over four…
A Polish film festival will be held in Fjarðabyggð this weekend for the sixth time. Rapid change in Polish society is the common thread in the festival’s programme. The festival’s director says the theme is highly relevant to both Icelanders and Poles living in Iceland.
The design and appearance of the Baugur Bjólfs viewing platform above Seyðisfjörður continues to attract great attention far beyond Iceland’s borders. The design has now, for the second time in a short while, made a list of outstanding architecture in a prestigious competition.
Þróttur’s men’s team hosted Vestri in the top men’s volleyball league on Saturday. The team’s result was decided in a deciding set for the third game in a row.
Marta María Winkel wonders what the mood is like right now at the homes of the five MPs who went swimming without permission in Vopnafjörður.
Síldarvinnslan has sold the pelagic vessel Bjarni Ólafsson to Samherji. The ship, built in 1999, has had no work since it was put up for sale at the start of 2024. The companies report this on their websites.
Yellow warnings are still in effect in the Westfjords, Northwest Iceland, Northeast Iceland and East Iceland. A meteorologist says the weather has largely played out as forecast, but was worse in some places than the forecasts predicted.
Yellow warnings remain in effect for Strandir and Norðurland vestra, Norðurland eystra and Austurland as far as Glettingur, where it is windy with snowfall and poor visibility.
The revelry of five MPs got a little out of hand when the group went for an unauthorised swim one evening. The incident took place at Selárlaug in Vopnafjörður last week. The municipal manager of Vopnafjarðarhreppur has now confirmed in the media that…
Civil protection authorities in East Iceland are urging owners of boats and ships in the Eastfjords to check on their vessels because of high sea levels and a forecast of strong winds. There was torrential rain in the Eastfjords this morning.
There has been considerable rain in East Iceland today, but it has eased for the time being.
The municipality of Múlaþing is in talks with both the port authority in Aberdeen, Scotland, and private parties about the possibility of ferry sailings between the city and Seyðisfjörður. Múlaþing’s municipal director says it is positive that the parties are talking, but it is to be expected that it will take some years to get the sailings up and running.
Urgent temporary repairs to Safnahúsið in Neskaupstaður, recommended by a building specialist after an inspection some time ago, have already been carried out by Fjarðabyggð. The specialist’s concerns were that the building’s roof has sagged considerably, the exterior walls have been pushed outward and columns had broken down through the floor covering in several places.
Samherji has bought the pelagic fishing vessel Bjarni Ólafsson AK from Síldarvinnslan. The new owners took over the vessel yesterday and it went straight out fishing.
The Environment and Natural Resources Appeals Committee (ÚUA) has overturned a decision by the Housing and Construction Authority (HMS) to deny the owners of six properties in Seyðisfjörður party status in Kaldvík’s application for a building permit for fish farming pens in the fjord. HMS must therefore consider the landowners’ request for party status for the third time.
There is no doubt that the thirst to play golf on a good course is strong in Djúpivogur and the surrounding area, as up to 20 people have recently been playing at the same time on the first four finished holes of a brand-new golf course. Those holes opened only three to four weeks ago, but the whole course, nine holes in all, is due to be ready by the middle of next summer.
Fishing was good off Vopnafjörður (Vopnafjarðardýpi) the night before last. Ólafur Gunnar Guðnason, captain of Beitir NK, says up to half the catch is Icelandic herring. Beitir was on its last haul when Ólafur was interviewed and was heading to port ahead of the deepest October low in more than sixty years.
Samherji has bought the pelagic vessel Bjarni Ólafsson AK 70 from Síldarvinnslan.
Like nearly all municipalities in East Iceland, the board of HEF-veitur has also jumped on the bandwagon of keeping all general tariff increases in check next year. The company’s tariff increases will be no more than 2.5 percent next year.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office has issued warnings for increased landslide risk in the Eastfjords and high sea levels tomorrow. It will be windy in the area, with considerable rainfall. A warning has also been issued for a snowstorm on Thursday.
The Minister of Industries says that halting or restricting the expansion of sea-pen farming in Seyðisfjörður has not been considered. The minister will meet representatives of nature conservation groups tomorrow.
There has been much debate about Kaldvík’s planned operations in Seyðisfjörður. That is natural, as the matter affects the fjord’s future, its business life, nature and community. Opinions are divided and it is important that differing views are heard.
The upcoming SPAR store in Neskaupstaður will be the chain’s first shop in Iceland with a self-service system that lets customers get in around the clock, all year round. Customers can expect lower prices when the store takes over from Kjörbúðin next month.
The construction company Nestak of Neskaupstaður has bought industrial premises in Fáskrúðsfjörður, as the company has been taking on more and more projects in the southern fjords of East Iceland. The purchase is part of further increasing and improving its service there.
“The mind is much faster than what grows in the pots,” says Einar Birgir Kristjánsson, managing director of Tandrabretti and its subsidiary Tandraorka, “and the hours in a day,” he adds with a laugh. Tandrabretti is headquartered in Eskifjörður and …
The municipalities of Fjarðabyggð, Múlaþing and Vopnafjarðarhreppur have already approved or put forward proposals aiming to keep tariffs from rising by more than 2.5% at the next new year, in order to curb inflation.
The retail company Drangar will open a SPAR store in Neskaupstaður next month, the first outside the capital region. At the beginning of next year it will be possible to shop there around the clock. SÚN has supported the changes.
The MPs who sneaked into a swim at Selárlaug in Vopnafjörður during constituency week committed trespass, in the view of Ásthildur Lóa Þórisdóttir, an MP for the People’s Party. She firmly rejects that such behaviour applies to MPs in general. Ingibjörg Isaksen, an MP for the Progressive Party, says there is nothing newsworthy about the swim.
“When 13,000 people sign a petition like this, the government must of course listen.” So said the Minister for the Environment after a meeting with opponents of sea-pen farming in Seyðisfjörður. They say they hope that preventing the sea-pen farming from becoming a reality will be a priority for the government.
Last week’s decision by Múlaþing’s family council not to give staff of the East Iceland Healthcare Institution (HSA) priority for preschool places has already had the effect that some staff have had to postpone returning to work after parental leave.
SPAR will open a store in Neskaupstaður in November, the chain’s first outside the capital region.
More than 1,200 people gathered both in Seyðisfjörður and at Austurvöllur in Reykjavík in the middle of yesterday to protest against the planned sea-pen farming by the company Kaldvík in Seyðisfjörður, and called on the government to listen to the voices of the people of the country.
In October it is two years since a group of remote workers in Egilsstaðir opened the Setrið workspace. Both bookings and working hours there have risen markedly from year to year, and the past September was the biggest month in Setrið’s history.
There are no plans to analyse the housing needs of Verkmenntaskóli Austurlands until the projects currently in preparation are well under way. The Fjarðabyggð town council expresses disappointment that nothing has happened despite the signing of a letter of intent more than four years ago.
Installation of a new heating plant is under way in Reyðarfjörður. It is intended to heat buildings used for school and sports activities. The company Tandraorka in Eskifjörður is carrying out the work. Installation is now in full swing, and Tandraorka, a subsidiary of Tandrabret …
Almost 30 years ago Hótel Valaskjálf in Egilsstaðir was first sold to private parties, and surely no local councillor suspected that almost 30 years later the community would face the prospect that the community hall might be closed for good. The current owners cannot be blamed, for why should they run a community hall for residents on the other side of the country when better options are available.
More than thirteen thousand people have signed a petition to the government for the protection of Seyðisfjörður, and the lists of signatures will be handed to Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson, Minister for the Environment, Energy and Climate, today at eleven o’clock.
Many people gathered today to protest against Kaldvík’s sea-pen farming in Seyðisfjörður, both in Seyðisfjörður and in Reykjavík, with the protests taking place simultaneously. A broad group of nature conservation organisations organised the protests.
The head of the fish farming department at the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority says a former employee of Fiskeldi Austfjarða was not involved in the risk assessment for the company’s planned farm in Seyðisfjörður. He was only asked a specific question about a standard for farming equipment. Lawyer Katrín Oddsdóttir criticises that he was approached despite a rule that he should not be involved in the matter.
Protests against Kaldvík’s sea-pen farming in Seyðisfjörður are taking place simultaneously there and at Austurvöllur today. A lawyer says well-attended meetings are in prospect, as it is a hot issue in the east, and she believes there are serious flaws in the licensing.
It is not every day that we in Borgarfjörður (or the residents of East Iceland generally) get the chance to go to the theatre, let alone in our home area, but last night Leikfélag Fljótsdalshéraðs premiered the farce Blakkát by Björk Jakobsdóttir to a good reception from the audience at Fjarðarborg. Hrafndís Bára Einarsdóttir directs.
Before the disaster scenario itself is set out, the place has to be pictured as a whole. Selstaðavík is not a blank spot on a map, and the pen site will not be set down in a vacuum. Here an old settlement landscape, high mountainsides, flood paths, shore, seabed and the people’s centuries-old ties to the sea meet.
This week Kastljós covered Kaldvík’s sea-pen farming plans in Seyðisfjörður. The fjord looked its finest, beautiful pictures of our town ran across the screen and viewers got to know a community where divided opinions appear to have created a difficult situation.
MPs from the Northeast constituency went for a swim at Selárlaug in Vopnafjörður after closing time during constituency week. A local council representative is said to have given permission for this and guided them.
One of the most popular and longest-lived bands in Icelandic history, Nýdönsk, is in the Eastfjords these days recording at Stúdíó Síló in Stöðvarfjörður and to play a concert in Breiðdalsvík. The trip east began, however, with a careless breach of the law.
Ásgrímur Ingi Arngrímsson is not only the principal of Brúarásskóli but also a restaurateur and event organiser at the community hall Fjarðarborg in Borgarfjörður eystri. He also has a background in both seafaring and journalism during one of East Iceland’s biggest periods of change. On top of all this, he is the author of popular pop song lyrics.
It is becoming hard for the people of Seyðisfjörður to resist the feeling that the Icelandic government’s newest national sport is to bully them. The community’s vital interests seem to be repeatedly set aside, the will of locals is disregarded and when one blow has passed, the next seems close behind. The same spot is struck again and again.
Höttur lost heavily to Álftanes in the team’s first game of the season in the men’s premier basketball league. The team barely saw the light of day after the first quarter.
Parents and children from the Breiðdalsvík and Stöðvarfjörður schools closed the road through Kambaskriður for an hour last Friday to protest that stronger rockfall protection has not been installed in the scree slopes. There are cases of parents keeping their children at home when there is a risk of rockfall in the area.
A little over a year has passed since the farm Vallanes, with all its assets and the company Móðir Jörð, was put up for sale. Although no sale has taken place, there has been considerable interest from many parties, according to the owners. These include investors who envisage leasing out the operation afterwards.
A jellyfish attack on Kaldvík’s salmon farm in Reyðarfjörður in September appears to have taken a greater toll on the fish in the pens than was first thought. It has also had a negative effect on the company’s finances. The jellyfish have left the area.
Four days remain of the so-called BRAS, the cultural festival for children and young people in East Iceland, with all the festival’s organisation this time, unlike before, in the hands of professionals at Múlaþing and Fjarðabyggð. Everything has gone as well as could be wished, according to one of the organisers.
East Iceland contributes more to the state treasury than it receives back. State revenue attributable to the region is estimated at ISK 54.2 billion a year, while expenditure is ISK 45.5 billion. East Iceland’s net contribution is therefore ISK 8.7 billion a year.
Höttur is predicted to finish 10th in the men’s premier basketball league this winter. Höttur starts the season tonight at Álftanes. Four new players have joined the club.
Leikfélag Fljótsdalshéraðs premieres the comedy Blakkát on Friday evening. The play, staged partly to mark the society’s 60th anniversary, will be shown at six places in East Iceland.
Campfire storytimes are a series of events that the Múlaþing library, in cooperation with the Nature School, will hold at all its locations this winter. Two such sessions have already been held and gave great pleasure.
Múlaþing’s family council has rejected healthcare workers’ requests for priority for preschool places in the municipality. In the council’s view, sufficient grounds have not been given for departing from the general principle that equality should apply in allocating preschool places.
The Fjarðabyggð town council objects to ideas presented by the Minister of Justice for merging police districts. Under them, the East Iceland district would be merged with the one to the south.
“We bear great responsibility for our own lifestyles, but that does not tell the whole story, nor does it assess the truth of the words ‘Everyone is the architect of their own fortune’.” The closing words of the last article suit as an introduction to this one. Short writing does not allow exhaustive discussion of the social determinants of health, and here is bounded by the red half-circle of the health rainbow (figure 1). Its heading…
Síldarvinnslan has received a purchase offer for the pelagic fishing vessel Bjarni Ólafsson AK 70. The vessel is to be handed over to its new owners this month.
The East Iceland District Court has sentenced a man for assaulting his cohabiting partner, the mother of his child, at their home at the beginning of this year. Among other things, the man grabbed the woman by the throat.
At its meeting this morning, Múlaþing’s regional council approved a proposal to the municipal council recommending against the municipality buying the Valaskjálf assembly hall in Egilsstaðir. An analysis found that the building was not suitable as a town hall and that the cost would exceed ISK 2 billion.
The Icelandic Road Administration’s service station in Fellabær was officially opened after thorough renovation last Thursday. The plan is to use the experience to overhaul more of the Road Administration’s service stations.
Jónína Lovísa Kristjánsdóttir, a special education teacher and project manager at Egilsstaðaskóli, was nominated yesterday for the Icelandic Education Awards for outstanding teaching over the years.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea considers it safe to catch much more mackerel next year than this year, and also proposes a certain increase in catches of both blue whiting and Norwegian-Icelandic herring. The final quota is still uncertain, but the CEO of Síldarvinnslan says one cannot but welcome the advice.
The possibility of installing simple rescue equipment at Stuðlagil is to be looked into, to make first response easier when accidents happen at the canyon. No single measure, however, resolves the dangers and difficulties in the area.
In my opinion, it is first and foremost communication and the people at the workplace that make a good workplace. Human resources are one of a workplace’s most important assets, so it matters to nurture them. A good workplace culture, trust, job satisfaction and good communication do not come about by themselves but are built up in the daily interactions of staff and managers.
Most of us remember a teacher who influenced our lives. A teacher who sparked an interest or encouraged us when something turned out to be hard. Today, on World Teachers’ Day, there is reason to pause and thank this important profession for its contribution to society.
At least ten mudslides are known to have fallen in the Eastfjords in the heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday. The road over Þórudalsheiði is believed to be badly damaged.
The organisations Barnaheill and Geðhjálp began their joint campaign in East Iceland earlier today, when a team from both organisations, along with the musician Unnsteinn Manúel, spent most of the day with young people in Vopnafjörður. The idea is to sit down with young people there and elsewhere and listen.
Jóhann Guðmundsson, an ultrarunner and long-distance swimmer, decided to make the best of it when the Ironman race in Spain, in which he planned to take part, was cancelled last Saturday. He decided immediately to run, swim and cycle the route that was to be covered in the race and set off early this morning. He is doing it in support of a family that is suffering deeply.
To mark Bubbi Morthens’s 70th birthday last summer, the members of the East Iceland band SúEllen have put out a well-known Bubbi song in their own style. The reception has been very good indeed.
Two tourists who were flown in serious condition to Reykjavík on Saturday after a four-car collision in East Iceland in which two others died are no longer in critical condition. According to the Red Cross, about ten people were given pastoral care because of the accident.
The first hundred days of the Independence Party–Progressive Party majority in Fjarðabyggð have been eventful. We have followed through on the budget’s projects and have also managed to add to maintenance and construction beyond what had previously been decided. It is a pleasing result in challenging economic conditions.
Last week was what is known as constituency week for MPs, used for their travels and meetings in their constituencies. MPs in the Northeast constituency were offered the chance to apply for thirty meetings with representatives of local authorities, institutions and companies in the area.
Múlaþing’s family council will likely decide at a meeting today whether to introduce some kind of temporary priority allocation of preschool places. The reason is a considerable staff shortage in preschools, particularly in Egilsstaðir, and the situation could begin to directly affect the operations of important institutions such as the East Iceland Healthcare Institution.
Water flowed yesterday over the spillway from Hálslón into the channel of Jökulsá á Dal. It is a sign that the reservoir is filling after a dry summer.
On Bylgjan’s noon news, the chief superintendent in East Iceland is interviewed about the fatal accident that occurred there yesterday.
Two foreign tourists are dead after the traffic accident at Háreksstaðakvísl yesterday. Two others are seriously injured.
Two people died in a four-car collision that occurred just before noon yesterday on Jökuldalsheiði at Háreksstaðakvísl. Eight people were reported to be in the vehicles. The dead were foreign tourists in their seventies.
The fact that East Iceland contributes more to the state treasury than it receives back clearly shows how important business and value creation in the region are. The state therefore needs to invest in the infrastructure that enables people and companies to live and work in the region. So says the chair of the Association of Municipalities in East Iceland.
It is confirmed that serious injuries resulted from a four-vehicle collision at Háreksstaðakvísl on Jökuldalsheiði, where a traffic accident occurred shortly before noon today. A total of eight people were in the vehicles concerned, and the road was closed because of operations at the scene. In addition to Icelandic Coast Guard helicopters, two air ambulances have landed at Egilsstaðir airport specifically because of the accident.
A mass casualty plan was activated in East Iceland because of a four-car collision in Jökuldalur at Háreksstaðakvísl today. Eight people were reported to be in the vehicles and some were seriously injured. Two Icelandic Coast Guard helicopters, rescue team members, police, paramedics and the Red Cross are taking part in the operation. The accident is believed to be serious.
The band Shape released its first song in nearly a quarter of a century this week. The band, which was formed at the Eiðar folk school in 1994, reunites at Eyrarrokk in Akureyri tonight for its first concert in seven years.
The bridge over Áreyjaá at the farm Áreyjar at the head of Reyðarfjörður is badly damaged after flooding yesterday. In Breiðdalur, repairs are under way so that Breiðdalsheiði can be reopened.
The 9th-grade students at Reyðarfjörður primary school set off on a rather adventurous walk early tomorrow morning, walking all the way from Karlsskáli in the north to Vattarnes in the south, that is, the whole of Reyðarfjörður. The route is 67 kilometres in total, and the students are doing this to raise money for a good school trip next spring.
Viðar Örn Hafsteinsson, coach of Höttur’s men’s first team in basketball, says community drive and cohesion are the prerequisite for running a premier-league team in a small community. He has led the team for 15 years and experienced both great adversity and historic victories.
There is concern for the future of the Mjólkursamsalan (MS) plant in Egilsstaðir, which specialises in producing pizza cheese, because of plans to classify pizza cheese with added vegetable oil from now on as a food product not subject to tariffs. MS’s board chair criticises the government for not assessing the possible impact of the changes on domestic production.