Mayor of Grundafjörður Björn Steinar Pálmason claims that the Environment Agency of Iceland appears to be circumventing the regulations on ocean and beach pollution hazards in the case of the rotting herring in Kolgrafafjörður on Snæfellsness peninsula.

As reported yesterday, Björn Steinar rejects that the responsibility and cost of cleaning up the rotten fish in Kolgrafafjörður lies with the landowners or municipality. He labeled the incident an ecological disaster and said he is concerned about how long it is taking to make a plan for the clean-up operation.

Björn Steinar spoke with the Environment Agency yesterday but was told that there was a lack of funding and that their duty was to provide information only, visir.is reports.

Thousands of herring died in the fjord in early December due to a lack of oxygen, along with other factors. Between 25,000-30,000 tons of rotten herring remain in the area. The smell of the rotten fish, about which nearby residents complained last week, has now gone.

According to an earlier report, the authorities had declared the clean-up the responsibility of the landowners. Staff from the Icelandic Marine Research Institute (Hafró) and the Environment Agency of Iceland are currently assessing conditions in the fjord.

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ZR