vegaøyan world heritage
The marine life
Although there are large areas of shallow water elsewhere in Europe, Vegaøyan is clearly different.
While much of the area around Vega has a hard bottom with lush algae vegetation and bright, fine shell sand areas, other European shallow water areas are characterized by grey-brown soft bottoms, poorer visibility and less lushness.
There are strong ocean currents in the waters around Vega. The most noticeable are the east-west tidal currents. With a tidal difference of 1.5 - 2 meters, large volumes of water are transported through the extensive archipelago twice a day. This provides good exchange and thus clean and nutrient-rich water.
The richness of species is even greater because Vega is located in a climatic zone where both northern and southern species can grow. This species richness and the clear water make the area an eldorado for divers.
For those who snorkel or hike in the beach zone, it is also a diverse and rich world of adventure. The Vega World Heritage Center and the Vegaøyan World Heritage Foundation have commissioned the report Marine Resources in Vegaøyan World Heritage. The aim of the project has been to develop experiences based on the marine resources in the Vegaøyan World Heritage Area. The aim of the feasibility study is to compile documented knowledge about the area's shallow-water marine resources in order to explore the basis for developing experiences. This is an area that is being worked on further.
Report on experiences in the World Heritage coastal zone
Kelp forest in growth
Kelp forests have made up a significant part of the seabed around Vega. Kelp forests are ranked among the most productive ecosystems on earth. Observations from fishermen, researchers and kelp trawlers indicate that the entire area around Vega had dense kelp forests until the 1970s. From 1970, dramatic changes took place in the kelp forest in the World Heritage Site. Within a few years, the number of green sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, increased dramatically. They started grazing on the kelp forest and in the decades that followed, they ate their way through the kelp forest both around Vega and in the rest of Northern Norway. As a result, fisheries also declined sharply. However, surveys over the past few years indicate that the kelp forest is returning and local fish stocks also appear to be increasing. Mapping in 2021 suggests that about 50 percent of the kelp forest has returned.
Local consequences
The depletion has had major consequences for local fishermen. According to calculations by researcher Hartvig Christie at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), a lower population of coastal cod has led to a large loss of income for fishermen per year in Vega municipality. According to his calculations, the destruction of the kelp forest in Northern Norway means that the equivalent of 3-400,000 tons of fish are lost every year. That's more than the entire Norwegian cod quota. Nevertheless, efforts are being made to get the industry back on its feet. The fishermen bought the fish reception and a new fishing port was opened in 2019. The foundation is also working to get a separate action plan for the fisheries, so that it is developed to safeguard the cultural landscape.
Source
Vegaøyan World Heritage. Cultural history travel book by Inga E. Næss and Rita Johansen.