School

Øyværet has had a village bus service and a post office. Until 1917, they also had a school. It was housed in a union hall for a period, and later they had a day school in various houses. The teachers came out to the island and taught for two or three weeks at a time. After the school closed, the pupils were moved to the Vika school district on Vega.

Fiskevær

Muddvær has been an important fishing village with good fishing grounds. Until 1950, there was also seal hunting out here, and the island was a good place for eggs and down. People from Vegvær went out to Muddvær to fish as soon as the haymaking season was over. They lived in cabins that the landowners had built on the islands closest to home. They mostly fished for cod, which was the most important commodity in the old days. The fish was hung on racks and dried, and then transported to the city twice a year by ferry. From 1930, acquisition vessels came and bought the fish. In the period just before the Second World War and up until 1962/63, three different buyers established fish reception facilities on the island. Hung, salted and fresh fish was shipped from Muddvær all the way to England and southern Norway.

Water conditions were poor on the island, especially during dry summers. For this reason, two government wells and a pool were built. Around 1950, around fifty fishermen were still actively fishing for spring cod around the weather. After the last fish farm closed in 1968, the village route connection and the post office ceased. This was also the end of the permanent settlement in the fishing village. Today, the five farmhouses in Muddvær are used by eider keepers and as summer cottages. Two cabins have also been built there.

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Source

"Vegaøyan World Heritage. Cultural history travel book." by Inga E. Næss and Rita Johansen.