The sound of silence
When there are fewer and fewer seabirds in bird sanctuaries and bird cliffs – what do we do? How can coastal people, management and researchers collaborate?
NEWS
Major decline in the eider population
SoS - Seabird conference in Bodø
Exhibition tour along the Nordland coast
SOS - VEGA
The seabird conference
THE PROJECT'S JOURNEY
Main goal
The main goal of "Sound of Silence" is to put the situation of seabirds on the national and international agenda.
For us as local project owners, it has been important to create a common understanding of the situation of seabird populations and what can be done to save the world's seabirds, to develop new knowledge about seabirds and at the same time to create a cultural and artistic community around a common issue between World Heritage Sites and other places with large seabird populations.
Seabird conferences
Read more NRK Nordland
Through "Sound of Silence" and in collaboration with "Fuglan veit", the Foundation held the seabird conference in Bodø and Fleinvær in April 2024 and at Vega and Lånan on July 2 and 3, 2024.
The Seabird Conferences were meetings between research, dissemination, art and practical knowledge from the coast of Northern Norway; a meeting between academia, professional art and local communities with the practical knowledge. The most important question is why there are fewer and fewer seabirds; what is happening in the sea, what is happening to the birds? Through the SoS – Seabird Conference, we also asked how we can coexist with birds when nature is changing and we humans need more space, food and energy, without it being at the expense of either people or birds? Seabirds are vulnerable to human activity and are good health indicators of the state of the ocean. By understanding the needs and tolerance limits of birds, we can find a better balance that ensures good lives for both people and nature.
Vagrant
Read more about VAGRANT
Artists have been involved in SoS in the work leading up to the conferences in Bodø and Vega with the project VAGRANT. In VAGRANT, artists from Norway and England met to create exhibitions, performances and relational projects about the lives of seabirds in the past and future.
As part of VAGRANT The exhibition "Seabird Archive on the Way Home" was also shown, which is an exhibition based on the Seabird Archive UIT/ Bratrein 1975 - 78. The exhibition was created by birdwatcher and artist Vibeke Steinsholm in collaboration with Vågan Arkitektkontor. The exhibition provides a documentary, in-depth insight into the thousand-year-old management traditions of harvesting and gathering in the bird refuges along the entire Nordland coast from Vega and Brønnøyværene in the south to Steigen in the north.
Further work
The 2024 season showed another year of decline in the number of breeding eiders on Vegaøyan. The numbers are very worrying along the coast. Both the birdwatchers and the Vegaøyan World Heritage Foundation will therefore send a message of concern to UNESCO about the situation of the seabirds.
The Vegaøyan World Heritage Foundation has also taken the initiative for a collaborative project with the Nordland Eider Association to bring together birdwatchers along the coast to work together to help seabirds and conduct information and dissemination work about the eider tradition.
The e-magazine "FugleFolk"
Digitally, the Foundation worked to reach families, children and young people with the bird magazines FugleFolk.