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 hunting in the area for more than 10,000 years. When the low-lying islands around the main island of Vega came into use around 1,500 years ago, they were initially used as fishing, hunting and gathering stations. The large expanse of beach with its rich animal and plant life eventually provided unique opportunities for settlement. For 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 islands were abandoned. Houses, eider architecture and cultural landscapes fell into disrepair. World Heritage status has led to more and more houses being restored, eider architecture being rebuilt and old cultural land being put back into use. Farmers from Vega and the 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 Site are grazed by cattle and sheep. These are mainly the islands north and west of Vega. Several of the rams, such as Skjærvær, Hysvær, Søla, Kilvær, Lånan, Rognan, Omnøy and Skogsholmen, are also mowed.
Overgrowth due to lack of grazing and mowing is the main challenge. Activity must be recreated and maintained to safeguard the island's cultural landscape. The Vegaøyan World Heritage Foundation, Vega municipality and the Vega conservation area board are contributing grants to the conservation work. Around 1,000 islands have been mapped for vegetation and management plans have been drawn up for 10-12 islands.