vegaøyan world heritage
An open cultural landscape
Vegaøyan is an open cultural landscape with more than 6,500 islands , islets and reefs.
Fishermen and hunters have been fishing and trapping in the area for more than 10,000 years. When the low the islands around the main island of Vega was first used around 1500 years ago, first as outposts for fishing, hunting and gathering. The large beach area with its rich animal and plant life eventually provided unique opportunities for settlement. Over generations, the islanders have protected the islands and shaped them into a unique cultural landscape.
Vegaøyan is not known for large monuments or buildings. The island kingdom's universal value lies in the area's handing down of history and cultural traditions that have developed along a rugged coast with rich natural resources.
Today, the island landscape is a living testimony to the life and work of the people of the archipelago along an extremely harsh coast. Here we find fishing villages and ocean farms, where buildings and traces in the landscape tell the story of people's conditions and activities. Nature has shaped people, and people have shaped nature in a unique interaction.
In the 60s, 70s and 80s, the the islands vacated. Houses, eider architecture and cultural landscape fell into disrepair. The World Heritage status has led to more and more houses being restored, eider architecture being restored and old cultural land being brought back into use. Farmers from Vega and neighboring municipalities are now grazing an increasing number of sheep and cattle in the World Heritage area. Today, around 60 islands in the World Heritage Area of cattle and sheep. This is mainly the islands north and west of Vega. In several of the rams, which Skjærvær , Hysvær , Søla , Kilvær , Lånan , Rognan, Omnøy and Skogsholmen is it also operated traditional haymaking .
Overgrowth due to lack of grazing and traditional haymaking is the main challenge. Activity must be recreated and maintained to secure the cultural landscape of the island. The Vegaøyan World Heritage Foundation, Vega Municipality and Vega Protected Area Board contributes with subsidies to the maintenance work. Around 1000 islands vegetation has been mapped and management plans have been made for 10 – 12 islands .