SKREI Research Center (SRC)

Webinar 1: Svein Sundby

Skrei Research Center invites you to a webinar with Svein Sundby. Sundby has been a researcher at the Institute of Marine Research since 1975, and he provided us with a deeper insight into our unique ecosystem concerning blooming of algea, ocean currents, temperature, and climate. Furthermore, we were taken through the intricate process of egg production, how spawning occurs, and how the larvae behave in the water masses. Important factors that make Lofoten and Vesterålen suitable spawning grounds were presented, along with a chronological narrative about key figures in marine research since its humble beginnings in the mid-1800s.

Webinar 2: Rebekah Oomen

Skrei Research Center invites you to a webinar with Rebekah Oomen. Oomen is a marine evolutionary ecologist who specializes in studying how organisms adapt to environmental changes. She has researched the genetic material of cod and partially of skrei. The genetic material provided surprising information about the migratory needs of skrei in relation to coastal cod, where a “super gene” has been examined as the main reason for this behavior. Rebekah further gives us an insight into cod as a social being, its personality traits, the characteristics in males that attract females, and the fascinating sounds that cod produce and perceive. The work on acoustics has led to an exhibition that is touring called “Cod Drumming.”

Webinar 3: Guri Hjallen Eriksen

Skrei Research Center invites you to a webinar with Guri Hjallen Eriksen. Eriksen has a strong background in fisheries and aquaculture management, and she is deeply engaged in the industry’s challenges and history. A local from Lofoten working at SALT, where she has been involved in a business-related Ph.D. project on Norwegian fisheries regulation in collaboration with the Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo. Guri has examined the extent to which environmental sustainability, social considerations, and the legal rights of stakeholders are upheld in fisheries regulation.

Webinar 4: Bjarte Bogstad

Skrei Research Center invites you to a webinar with Bjarte Bogstad. Bogstad primarily works with stock assessment, stock advice, and stock interactions for fish stocks in the Barents Sea, with a special focus on cod and haddock. Bjarte will takes us through the process of stock assessments, collaboration with Russia during challenging times, and how quotas are evaluated and determined.

Webinar 5: The Norwegian Seafood council

Skrei Research Center invites you to a webinar with Sara Møllebakken and Kari-Anne Johansen from the Norwegian Seafood Council (NS).

NS is a marketing organization that collaborates with the Norwegian seafood industry to increase the value of Norwegian seafood in established and new markets worldwide. The Seafood Council is a state-owned company under the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries, and it is funded through a legally mandated fee on the export of Norwegian seafood. The company is headquartered in Tromsø and its nearly 80 employees work across the value creation areas of market access, market insights, marketing, PR, and contingency planning.

NS has Seafood Envoys in 15 countries and makes market investments in 27 countries worldwide. NS is part of the government’s toolkit for promoting business abroad (Team Norway) and is co-located with the foreign service and/or Innovation Norway in most markets. Their envoys have diplomatic status.

The brand “Seafood from Norway” is a shared platform that the Norwegian industry builds upon in its marketing efforts. It is based on the story of Norway as a seafood nation, the species, and the seafood from Norway.

Webinar 6: Come Denechaud.

Skrei Research Center invites you to a webinar with Côme Denechaud at the Institute of Marine Research.

Côme Denechaud is an expert in bottom fishing, particularly specializing in otoliths, and has utilized otoliths in research to analyze Skrei.

Otoliths have played a central role in the planning of the Skrei Center for some time, and the building designed by LPO Architects has succeeded with the name “otolith” as its foundation. SRC takes SKREI on a deep dive into the world of otoliths with Côme Denechaud, teaching us what we can truly uncover with this fascinating little piece.

“Otoliths, also known as ear stones, are often referred to as the fish’s black box. By analyzing otoliths, one can learn about the fish’s age, growth, type (e.g., coastal cod/skrei), temperature conditions, diet, migration patterns, sexual maturity, number of spawning periods, genetic diversity, and pollution. The Institute of Marine Research has collected significant amounts of otoliths from the early 1900s up to the present day.” Institute of Marine Research”

Webinar 7: Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen. 

Odd Emil is a former Minister of Fisheries and Seafood and State Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in Erna Solberg’s government. Today, he is the Conservative Party’s (Høyre) mayoral candidate in Bodø and the CEO of Paradigm Aquatic within the Nordly Group.

Odd Emil has been specifically requested to share insights about his role as Minister of Fisheries and topics related to the Ministry of Fisheries. We learn how politicians prioritizes ecological, social and economic considerations concerning fisheries.

Webinar 8: Valentina Tamborra.

Skrei Research Center invites you to a webinar with Valentina Tamborra, who resides and works in Milan. She is a professional photographer and journalist, primarily focusing on photojournalism and portraits, with a penchant for blending narratives with images. She has collaborated with major NGOs and organizations such as AMREF, Doctors Without Borders, Albero Della Vita, Emergenza Sorrisi, and the Italian Red Cross. Her projects have been exhibited in Milan, Venice, Rome, and Naples.

Valentina is a lecturer at the Instituto Italiano di Fotografia in Milan. She won the “Premio AIF Nuova Fotografia” at Milan’s Photofestival in April 2018.

Since 2018, Valentina has been working on “Skrei Il Viaggio/Skrei the journey,” where she portrays life around the fisheries in Lofoten and the people involved in various aspects, with a primary focus on Røst.

Webinar 9: Department of communications at the marine research institute by Stine Hommedal. 

Skrei Research Center invites you to a webinar with Stine Hommedal. Since 2017, the Institute of Marine Research has undergone a comprehensive communication process that has led to a significant increase in traffic and interest in their research and work. The institute shares important experiences that SRC, SKREI, and Museum Nord can learn from in their ongoing work with major projects and strategic initiatives.

Stine will discuss the extensive restructuring of a significant and weighty institution for management and advisory services to the government, which also aims to reach the general public. Complex scientific content is presented in an easy, engaging, and enjoyable manner that awakens the marine researcher within us.

Conference: April 13-14, Nyvågar

Museum Nord and SRC (Skrei Research Center) aimed to gauge interest for a conference focused on the place and role the skrei fisheries in museums. We extended invitations to various colleagues working in research, collection management, or communication related to skrei fishing, stemming from our ongoing work with the forthcoming SKREI Center in Vågan. Throughout this process, we have encountered questions and issues that we believe would be interesting to discuss with colleagues engaged in coastal and fishing history.

The seasonal skrei fishery has led to movements of people and goods over large geographical distances. Both the small stories and the larger narrative have evolved independently of the boundaries of today’s consolidated museums. We believe there is room for more professional exchange among museum staff in this area, allowing us to share knowledge about what museums have in their collections and are working on in terms of knowledge production and communication.

Another perspective is related to presenting the history of skrei fishing in the context of our present day. Much of the fishing history in museums has traditionally been linked to social, political, and economic conditions. Fishing involves the use of natural resources, and in recent times, several museums have begun to place greater emphasis on questions of sustainability, ecological system interconnections, and human impact on nature as part of the fishing history. This seems to open up a new area for museums, one that points toward interdisciplinary collaboration and an active societal role. With “skreifisket” (skrei fishing), we encompass all seasonal fishing for skrei along the entire Norwegian coast, not just Lofotfisket (Lofoten fishing).

Read more about the convention here.

Workday with Historians Åsa Elstad and Alf Ragnar Nielsen

Participants:

• Skrei Research Center (SRC)
• Exhibition Group SKREI
• Historians Åsa Elstad and Alf Ragnar Nielsen

On May 9, 2023, a full-day seminar was held with SRC, the exhibition group, expology, and historians Alf Ragnar Nielsen and Åsa Elstad.

The historians appreciated the approach of examining the interaction between social, economic, and ecological sustainability perspectives as an overarching theme. Further discussions revolved around significant historical disruptions that define cultural paradigm shifts, many of which have economic implications that, in turn, alter power and social structures.

Some of the disruptions we discussed as significant include:

• The importance of Vågar and its urban status.
• Around 1100: Commencement of exports.
• Around 1400: The disappearance of the Vågar system.
• Around 1500: Reformation; diminished significance of the larger North European market. Catholic fasting regulations become more important.
• Around 1600: The Little Ice Age, wars in Europe, poor fishing, trade, and grain shortages.
• Around 1700: The challenge to Juksa (a fishing gear), introduction of new tools such as nets and lines, leading to new conflicts.
• Around 1760: The system of “væreier” ownership. The state sells fishing villages and rights to individuals.
• Around 1800: Emergence of new boat types, motorization, and entry into further capitalization.
• Around 1856/57: Lofoten Act (1816) initially favored væreierne (owners of fishing villages).
• Around 1860: Clipfish production generates more sales opportunities for fishermen.
• The fascinating and extensive history of stockfish (tørrfisk). (90% of exports consisted of fishery-related products, contributing 5% to state revenue).
• Sami boat-building and coexistence with Norwegians.

The historians expressed willingness to continue contributing to the workgroup’s efforts with the exhibitions. Both Åsa and Alf Ragnar were part of the “history” workgroup early in the project, dating back to 2016.

Workshop

Lofoten as a Sustainable Food Destination

The Consumption Research Institute SIFO, OsloMet, in collaboration with LofotenMat and Museum Nord, invites you to a seminar and workshop.

Date: Thursday, September 7, 12:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Venue: Nyvågar Hotel, Kabelvåg

Utopia Workshop

How do we envision the future? In the utopia workshop, participants are invited to engage in a process where reflection on personal experiences leads to shared values that are translated into practical actions.

Hybrid Forum: The hybrid forum is a dialogue between a panel and other participants at the seminar. The goal is to share knowledge and experiences to identify and support common interests.

Themes

1. Eating in Lofoten: Exploring what is unique to Lofoten and how it can contribute to the development of Lofoten as a food destination.
2. Local Goats and National Whales: How can different actors in the food and tourism industries collaborate to promote Lofoten as a food destination?
3. Lofoten as a Green Destination: Can we achieve a development that considers sustainable utilization of local resources and strengthens visitors’ and locals’ access to and knowledge about local, sustainable products and experiences?