13-Jan-2025

Veteran DFFU captain recalls time among polar bears in the Barents Sea Loophole

Sigurdur Óli Kristjánsson, captain of DFFU’s trawler Berlin NC 107, completed his final trip on December 29, marking the end of a captaincy that began in 1981. Over the course of his long career, Kristjánsson has witnessed remarkable events at sea. Having worked in the fishing industry since childhood, he is now retiring—but not leaving the sea entirely. Kristjánsson still owns a small boat and fishing quota in his native Iceland.

Kristjánsson, born in 1960, is the son of a fisherman and grew up surrounded by the fishing industry in Dalvík, a coastal town in northeastern Iceland. As a child, his playground was the shore and the harbour. At the age of eleven, he began rowing out from Dalvík with his best friend in a small boat to fish for grayling.

“My dad was a sailor, and growing up, I never intended to follow in his footsteps. Becoming a sailor or captain wasn’t my plan, but fate must have led me down this path—and I don’t regret it,” Kristjánsson says, reflecting on his career.

Established a fishing company straight after graduation

After completing his studies at the Westman Islands School for Helmsmen in 1981, Kristjánsson established a company with four of his friends, operating a sixty-ton wooden boat from Dalvík. The fishing gear used was cod nets, and the catch was mainly cod which was dried and exported as stockfish. However, the venture lasted only a year due to challenging market conditions for stockfish.

Following this, Kristjánsson took command of Haraldur EA, a sixty-ton boat operating from Dalvík, before joining Bliki hf. in 1986, where he captained a trawler of the same name. Bliki later merged with two other Icelandic fishing companies, G. Ben and Snaefell, before becoming part of Samherji. Following the merger, Kristjánsson took command of Kambaröst SU 200 and later Margrét EA 710, trawlers owned and operated by Samherji.

Sigurdur Óli Kristjánsson, photographed in his hometown, Dalvík.

Polar bears turned down Icelandic lamb

After 43 years as a captain, Kristjánsson has experienced many strange and sometimes surreal events at sea. In November 1993, he was steering the trawler Bliki, fishing in Smutthullet, the Loophole of the Barents Sea, during a severe ice storm.

“The ship escaped the ice by sailing into a kind of ice floe,” Kristjánsson recalls. “We reached the edge of the ice and stayed there for three days while the weather improved. There were polar bears all around—up to ten of them. We saw she-bears with cubs, which was an incredible sight. We threw frozen fish at them, and they nibbled on some of it. One of the crew even threw them Icelandic lamb shanks, but amazingly, they had no appetite for them. I have never seen a polar bear since then. Sometime later, we heard from the Norwegian Coast Guard that it was very unusual for so many polar bears to gather in one place,” says Kristjánsson.

In 2004, Kristjánsson joined our German subsidiary Deutsche Fischfang Union GmbH (DFFU) in Cuxhaven, where he has worked ever since. There, he captained trawlers fishing for demersal species such as cod, haddock, and Greenland halibut in Norwegian waters, around Svalbard, and in East and West Greenland.

“The first vessel I captained for DFFU was the trawler Baldvin, which was originally built for Samherji in 1992. That vessel was later rebuilt in Poland in 2014, allowing us to start towing two trawls. Then, in 2017, Berlin NC 105 replaced Baldvin, marking a major breakthrough—it was an exceptionally good ship. In 2021, Berlin NC 105 was sold and replaced by Berlin NC 107, which we have now had for a year. While the previous vessel was a significant advancement, Berlin NC 107 is even better. It can tow three trawls instead of two and, despite being more powerful, is also more fuel-efficient, using energy much more effectively. This ship is, without a doubt, the best vessel I have steered.”

*Baldvin NC after the vessel was rebuilt in 2014.*

Not used to having a captain involved in processing

Many of the crew members aboard DFFU’s vessels are from Germany and Portugal, as was the case when Kristjánsson first joined.

“Transitioning from the Icelandic fishing industry to Germany was a significant change, and some of the local crew members had a strong sense of authority. The processing managers and boatswains were also German, and they were accustomed to a high degree of autonomy in their operations. Thy weren’t used to the captain having a say in the onboard processing. We wanted to implement several changes in production, but it took time to get them done. I'm referring to things like modifying the trimming methods and increasing the utilization rate of the catch. Another major shift for the crew was the captain’s involvement in processing decisions, including consulting with the processing team about hauling schedules. We implemented a much more active dialogue between the fishing and processing teams, ensuring that the processing unit only received the amount of fish it could handle at any given time—protecting the quality of the raw material. The goal was to maximize freshness, ensuring that catching and processing onboard worked in harmony,” says Kristjánsson.

Kristjánsson recalls that language could sometimes be a challenge. “Of course, it was different at first because of the language barrier. If the crew didn’t speak English, communication could be difficult. But you find ways to overcome these hurdles. The foreign crew members who were there when I arrived were used to extremely long fishing trips—sometimes lasting up to a hundred days. That has changed in recent years, and now most trips last five to six weeks.”

Kristjánsson is married and the father of four grown-up children. He has lived in Dalvík his entire life and career, which means he has always travelled to Cuxhaven for his fishing trips.

*In 2004, Kristjánsson joined DFFU and travelled from Dalvík to Cuxhaven for his trips.*

Technological advancements have transformed the industry

Reflecting on his career in the industry and how it has changed in past decades, Kristjánsson mentions technological advancements that have transformed fisheries and life at sea in general.

“When it comes to fishing gear, new sensors have been a game changer. I am referring to the catch sensor, the headline sensors and the door sounder. The catch sensor tells you how much is in the bag. It starts flashing if there are one or two tonnes in the bag. The headline sensors show where the trawl is located. In the past, door sounders only showed the distance between the trawl doors, but now they display depth and tilt, allowing us to see exactly where the trawl door is in the water and how close it is to the bottom. These new mechanisms have completely changed the work itself and made it more efficient.”

Kristjánsson also mentions progress in maritime communications.

“When I first started at sea, you couldn't call ashore without everyone listening in. Then mobile phones arrived, followed by internet connections at sea. Along with these technological advancements, weather forecasts have become much more accurate, which makes it easier for ships to navigate past storms and choose their locations. We can now see forecasts a few days in advance with remarkable accuracy. In the 1980s, you had to wake up at night to listen to the weather forecast on the radio. Today, you just go online.”

Grateful for no serious accidents at sea

Fishing on long-distance trawlers can be risky, particularly in rough weather. Kristjánsson says he is most grateful that he has never experienced any serious accidents at sea—neither personally nor among his fellow crew members.

“There have been great advances in safety in recent decades. Life jackets and other safety equipment are much better today. We can also see from the statistics that accidents at sea have become much rarer. I have fortunately escaped this over the years. What I'm most grateful for is never having had any major accidents on board. Crew members have had to be transported by helicopter due to illness or accidents, but thankfully, none of these incidents were severe.”

Even though he has retired, Kristjánsson is far from finished with the sea. A few years ago, he acquired a skiff—a small open fishing boat—along with some fishing quota. He has operated the boat from Dalvík when off duty, primarily catching cod. All his catches are sold and processed locally in Dalvík.