Arnarfjörður has been chosen as the test area for this project: a utilisation plan for coastal areas in the Westfjords. The area covered runs from 115 m seaward of the high water mark out to one nautical mile beyond the territorial sea baseline. The inner boundary is based on Icelandic planning and building laws and the outer one on the European Water Framework Directive. This way, the utilisation plan will be a direct continuation of the municipal land use master plan.

Arnarfjörður was chosen as the test fjord because a lot more existing research data is available on it than most other fjords. It also hosts a relatively wide variety of anthropogenic coastal uses in the water, on the sea bed and on land; and interest in using the fjord‟s resources is growing. The need for planning in Arnarfjörður is therefore obvious.

When a utilisation plan for Arnarfjörður has been completed, it is planned to start working on a utilisation plan for the whole Westfjords. The plans will then benefit from regular comprehensive review and amendment of legislation in this field; for example with the introduction of the Water Framework Directive. The Westfjords will be split into three areas: north, west and east; and a utilisation plan prepared for each. All the work will then be combined.

The red line is drawn one nautical mile outside the territorial waters baseline. Ministry for the Environment, 2010.