The importance of grazing, haymaking and local heritage on the Vega Archipelago of Norway

In 2004, the Vega Archipelago on the Helgeland coast of Norway was inscribed on the World Heritage List as the first Norwegian cultural landscape (UNESCO, 2005). Starting in the 1950s, the gradual abandonment of some of the islands has caused dramatic changes. The uncontrolled growth of certain plants and grasses, such as the Sikta spruce and meadowsweet, has drastically reduced local biodiversity. In addition, island cultural heritage such as the eider duck tradition has also begun to disappear. In recent years, however, Vega’s inhabitants have started an integrated programme in which the restoration of old buildings, animal grazing (beiting) and haymaking (slått) have been reinstated (Reihmanis, 2011).