Ash Cloud Over Europe Disrupts Travelers and Fish Industry

The airplanes over Europe may be lifting along with the volcanic ash cloud -- although perhaps not for long -- but the jammed airways have meant that not only travelers have been held up, but many products as well. Exports of Norwegian salmon and Icelandic fresh fish have been curtailed or halted, creating a global disruption in the fish markets and perhaps signaling a rise in salmon prices. Norway's Marine Harvest, the world's largest fish farmer, has reduced its its salmon harvest, and Icelandic exports of fresh cold, halibut and other fish to European markets have been stopped. Though the EU agreed yesterday to start lifting flight restrictions, industry analysts said that the effects on the fish market could be far-reaching. Okay, so maybe now's a good time to shop locally, like you were going to anyway, right? Or fish locally, at any rate.

National Environmental Research Institute at Aarhus University, Denmark

Map of Europe