Why an action plan?

The cultural landscape that has been created in Vegaøyan due to the distinctive way of life with agriculture, fishing and eider duck farming is unique on a global scale. Vegaøyan is therefore the only World Heritage Site in Norway that has the cultural landscape as its value and main objective. Over the past 30 years, there have been drastic changes in settlement and activities on the islands, and it is only in the last minute that these values can be safeguarded. Maintaining the cultural landscape in the islands is dependent on viable agriculture in the buffer zone in Vega municipality and the peripheral zone in the neighboring municipalities. Today, it is easier to make use of available grazing land other than the islands, and special contributions are therefore necessary to safeguard the cultural landscape in the World Heritage Area.

Background to the plan

At a meeting in Oslo on November 27, 2006 with the State Secretaries of the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the two World Heritage Sites Vegaøyan World Heritage Site and Vestnorsk Fjordlandskap were asked to prepare a report on the challenges facing the World Heritage Sites.

The reports were completed in June 2007 and provided the basis for the subsequent allocation of funds via the national budget for cultural landscape management, eider duck management and measures in the Vegaøyan World Heritage Area. The funds are allocated by the Ministry of the Environment to the Vegaøyan World Heritage Foundation. The total budget for the foundation is approximately NOK 5.2 million for 2023, and in accordance with guidelines from the Ministry of Climate and Environment and the Norwegian Environment Agency, these work areas must be prioritized in the budget. In addition, Vega municipality has NOK 2.1 million at its disposal, which will go to active farmers in the area who take animals out to pasture or carry out other conservation work. With the establishment of local management of the protected areas, the Vega Protected Area Board has also gained access to funds for management in the World Heritage Area; both mowing and felling of sitka. For 2023, this was approximately NOK 500,000.