Landowners have the right to sell seaweed, but according to the protection regulations for the landscape conservation area, activities that harm animal and bird life are not permitted. Jelle van Weert is coordinator for Algea Harvest and believes that the start of seaweed harvesting in the landscape conservation area is not in conflict with the protection regulations. The State Administrator in Nordland's legal department will investigate further how seaweed harvesting can be said to be in conflict with protection, while the birdtenders in Vegaøyan have no doubt that seaweed cutting – regardless of the time of year – is completely unacceptable. They have the full support of the World Heritage Coordinator. Both parties point out that it is in the seaweed that the eider chicks find food. Seaweed is also an entire ecosystem with different species, so if it is cut, it takes a long time before the ecosystem is re-established.

The World Heritage Coordinator will take up the matter with the Ministry of Climate and Environment and the Norwegian Environment Agency and believes that it is completely unacceptable that it should be allowed to cut seaweed in the middle of the feeding grounds of eider ducks and other seabirds that are now really struggling.