Fulmar eggs harvest at Lonin, Sandoy, Faroe Islands

 

Once a year, local men from Sandoy gather at Lonin to harvest eggs from the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis). Lonin is an approximately 400 meter high cliff facing the sea, and the place is special for several reasons. The cliff with its 300 meters vertical steep side is the highest point in the Faroe Islands where seabird harvest is taking place. Secondly, where the rope for the person who climbs, elsewhere in the Faroe Islands is operated manually, a mechanical winch is used at Lonin. 

 

The winch consists of an old diesel engine and drums used for trawling, and were put up around the turn of the millennium to facilitate the hard work of lifting people up and down the rock face. Originally, the setup at Lonin was intended the catch of puffins (Fratercula arctica), but the puffin population in the Faroe Islands are in serious decline, and today this traditional form of hunting is no longer possible.

 

The fulmar egg harvest at Lonin is an excellent example of how seabird harvest is conducted today. The tradition of harvesting seabirds is several centuries old at the Faroes. Although things have changed and modern technology has been introduced, the fundamentals of the harvest are still the same. 

 

Photo rapportage from Lonin by Carsten Egevang.