Fish’n’Folks

In August 2020, Above Borders and Blue Lobster embarked on a true fishing adventure, as they travelled northwest from Denmark to dive into the many nuances of the Faroe Islands’ fishing culture.

To explore this, Above Borders has engaged in a collaboration with another entrepreneur-based company, Blue Lobster, whose ambition is ’to change the way you buy fish’. With joint forces, the mission is to explore, learn and communicate about fishing culture around the world – starting with Faroe Islands.

Documentary coming soon

When Above Borders and Blue Lobsters visited Faroe Islands, the team gained excessive knowledge about fish and fishing. During this exciting trip, they met and talked to numerous local inhabitants and fishermen who showed great hospitality and helped to understand the authentic and real fishing culture of the country. As part of this, we became familiar with the gastronomical side of the fishing industry and experienced the amazing taste of freshly made fish. Luckily, for everyone else, all these experiences – and much more – have been documented on camera! The many pieces are currently being edited and will result in a unique fishing documentary from Scandinavia’s most isolated destination.

What makes the fishing culture on the Faroe Islands so unique?

Faroe Islands is an astonishing archipelago located between Iceland and Norway. The country comprises 18 islands connected by an impressive road tunnel system and bridges, supported by ferries. The isolated position surrounded by waters creates changeable and challenging weather conditions, but it also creates the foundation for a distinctive fishing industry and high quality ‘ocean’ gastronomy.

The sea-faring Faroese have spent generations honing the fishing skills necessary to live off the marine resources available to them. The fishermen are so effective and the seas are so deep and plentiful that fish makes up more than 90% of the islands’ export value. Because of the scale of their seafood operations, the Faroese Islands are able to provide high quality seafood internationally, contribute to global food security, and maintain sustainable livelihoods for many living on the islands. Despite the longstanding traditions and deep fishing culture, the Faroese fishermen of today are still continuing to learn and better their practices. The government is influential in providing the resources necessary to ensure healthy fish populations, and It is common practice to use hook & line fishing methods for many species, even at the industrial level. This is one of the most sustainable fishing methods because of its minimal environmental impact and limited bycatch. On top of sustainable fishing methods being a norm in the industry for many species, the newest generation of fishermen is also being taught a new and more humane way of treating the fish once it’s caught. Every fish that gets pulled up is killed within 20 seconds of landing. It is then put directly into an icy salt bath. These practices have made Faroese fish world renowned for high quality, delicious fish.

If you are interested in travelling to the Faroe Islands, read more and see our trips.