Head out on a traditional fishing boat with a local fisherman in Mehamn, at 71 degrees north.
Head out on a traditional fishing boat with a local fisherman in Mehamn, at 71 degrees north.
In Kjøllefjord we get off the ship and drive to Mehamn, which is 30 minutes away. On the way we hear what it is like to live at 71 degrees north, in one of Norway’s northernmost fishing villages, where wind and weather set the pace of everyday life. We also hear about Sami culture in the area and about reindeer herding.
In Mehamn, Captain Øyvind and his deckhand are waiting for us. Øyvind works as a fisherman all year round, and we go out with him on his “sjark”, a small, traditional Norwegian fishing boat that is common all along the coast of Northern Norway. Dress warmly for wind and weather, preferably with a hat and gloves. Before we leave the quay, you put on a life jacket, and we make ourselves comfortable up on deck.
Out on the fjord, Øyvind tells us about fishing quotas in Norway, about everyday life in the profession, and about how the king crab reached the Barents Sea from the Russian side in the 1960s and has since spread westward along the whole coast.
When we reach the crab pots, we clear space on deck, and those who want to can help out. We pull up a pot, and in it we see the day’s catch: large king crabs that can weigh up to five kilograms. Øyvind shows us the catch and tells us about the anatomy of this animal, which is exported from Northern Norway all over the world.
The crew has prepared a tasting for us, and on the way back to the harbour they also serve a drink to go with it. Those who prefer can sit indoors. There is also a small, basic toilet on board. When we see the Havila Voyages ship sail into Mehamn, we head for the quay.
Because we are a small group, you get close to both the catch and the crew, and you get a genuine experience of what it is like to be a fisherman in the north.
Northbound
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