FROM THE CEO

The economic sector is the heartbeat in every society. It is something I am very familiar with, having grown up in a small community and experiencing first-hand how the lives of families and companies are intertwined. Mutual understanding and support during the best and worst of times was one of the main reasons for the solidness and health of communities that formed all around the country.

Corporate responsibility toward the community covers a range of issues. Their role is to create sustained value that is tangible and material, and as a result, their responsibilities are great when it comes to healthy and sustainable financial operations. But life must not and cannot be just be about hard work. The non-financial aspects in the operation of companies are of great importance, and some, such as safety and environmental issues, are so important that they cannot be given financial indicators.

HB Grandi hf. has been a leading fisheries company in Iceland in the sense that it systematically reports on non-financial items in its operations through the issue of an annual sustainability report. This is the second time the report is issued.

Respect for the environment and marine life are the basic values that govern the company’s operations. More careful use of resources and the environment and the full utilisation of the catch, in addition to the safety and wellbeing of employees, are the main focus points of the company as regards the non-financial aspects of its operation. In the field of environmental, safety and human resources issues, the company has taken advantage of the latest technology and knowledge to gain a proper view of the situation, set itself goals and work methodically toward such goals. Here we have achieved measureable success. The number of serious accidents at sea has decreased and the company’s environmental footprint has shrunk considerably over the past few years. This can be attributed to less use of fossil fuels, electrification of vessels while in port and the careful sorting of all waste and rubbish. In addition, a privacy policy was approved and adopted within the company that addresses the protection of individuals in a society that is becoming steadily more complicated.

The role of HB Grandi is to responsibly maximise the value and returns from the shared natural resources that the company is entrusted with. The company’s policy is to be an integrated fisheries company involved in vessel operation, processing and sales operations that provide returns to owners and a desirable working environment for employees, operates in harmony with the environment and takes full responsibility for its role in the community in which it is a part. The tasks of the management include making detailed examinations of most of the elements of the value chain of the company, fishing, processing, product development, marketing, distribution and sales – for the purpose of creating, in a sustainable manner, as much value as possible to divide between employees, owners and Icelandic society at large.