Vestfjord

Vestfjord separates the Lofoten Islands from the mainland of northern Norway. Each winter and spring migrating cod enter its waters to spawn, drawing fishers from communities along the coast. Around Vågar in Lofoten a centre of stockfish commerce grew in the Middle Ages, when cod dried in the northern air became a valuable export. The open waters between the islands and the mainland could be dangerous, but the seasonal fishery made the crossing a familiar journey for generations of fishers.