ABSTRACT
For over a thousand years, local communities in the Lofoten Islands of northern Norway have preserved codfish by hanging it to dry in the region’s cold winds and fluctuating temperatures. The end result of this process is known as stockfish. The traditional knowledge behind the production of stockfish has been passed from one generation to the next. The transmitted knowledge and practices have often been re-adapted and improved to optimally respond to new conditions that cause food insecurity. By efficiently preserving and storing fish, northern Norwegians have secured themselves an adequate food supply that is available year-round, regardless of seasonal or climatological fluctuations.
This chapter explores the value of stockfish for strengthening the local food system and the role of stockfish in enhancing local food security. It thus highlights the importance of the transmission of the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) involved in the production and preparation of stockfish. This study includes findings from original ethnographic research conducted in Lofoten. The findings show that the local population does view stockfish as a significant factor in their food security and in the resilience of the local food system. However, interest in stockfish seems to have decreased in younger generations, and strategies that aim to strengthen the transmission of TEK related to stockfish may be required. The chapter also discusses the ability of the transmission of traditional knowledge of local stockfish production to enhance and strengthen societal resilience, particularly in Lofoten and the Arctic region.
