29/06/2021
Wow. A spectacular photo taken of the newest Thorbjorn vessel Tomas Borvaldsson as it sets off to catch Icelandic Thorfish at the beginning of May. Around 20 miles from the capital Reyjavik, Iceland’s newest volcano in the Geldinggadalir valley, Fagradalshraun has been erupting since 19th March and is still spewing 2000 degrees Fahrenheit lava and remains a possibility for some time to come. Earlier this year the local area on the Reykjanes Peninsula recorded over 50,000 earthquakes within only a few weeks. The volcano had laid dormant for around 800 years, and scientists from Iceland’s Meteorological Office say the earthquakes were a natural warning that an eruption was imminent. Thorbjorn Fleet Manager Eirikur Dagbjartsson is responsible for the vessels and the crew on board, and said many of the crew (and he) live only 5 miles from the site, and all staff at Thorbjorn headquarters have undergone specialised evacuation procedures in the event of a full eruption. This is precautionary and there will be no disruption to fishing or Thorbjorn’s usual high level practices and service. There are also 40 volunteer crew members patrolling the site each day to keep an eye on any activity and ensure the safety of the locals and visitors. How long the eruption continues is anyone’s guess. Once started they can end overnight, or continue for (in some case) decades. Fortunately for everyone around the volcano, it seems they can continue to live and work as the Meteorological Office monitors any harmful gases and lava streams. People from the nearest town Grandavik voted to name the volcano Fagradalshraun, meaning ‘lava in the beautiful valley’. It would certainly be a breath-taking commute to work.
