Fishing boat arriving back into port in Henningsvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
{"Image PhotometricInterpretation": "2", "Image ImageDescription": "The Lofoten fishery relies on the spawning Arctic cod from the Barents Sea that arrive every winter, drawn by the meeting of the Gulf stream and the icy Arctic Ocean.  This abundance of fish draws fishermen from all over the northern coast.  Sigbj\u00f8rn Utheim has been fishing these waters most of his working life.  He has witnessed first-hand the changes that time has wrought on the traditional fishing practices in the seas around the Lofoten islands, where fish are caught and hung out to dry on traditional racks scattered about the rocky bays.  \n\nThe Barents Sea is one of WWF's eco-regions and an area that is under threat from over-fishing, climate change and oil and gas development.  The Lofoten Islands, and many of their inhabitants, rely on the annual cod catch for their liveliehoods but the catch here is dwindling.\n\nAs we explore the islands it becomes apparent just how much the local economy is tied up with the fishing industry.  Drying racks line the shore and even local houses have a few fish drying outside.  Yet it is obvious that the days of Lofoten relying purely on the spawning cod stocks are gone, the traditional red fishermen\u2019s cottages have now mostly been converted into \u2018rorbu\u2019 dwellings - popular with the swarms of summer tourists who come to the Lofoten Islands year after year.  The tourist industry is another of the region\u2019s big earners, but studies predict an alternative source of wealth lying underneath the sea bed.\n\nFor many years, the newly merged company of Statoil and Hydro have been campaigning for the right to explore the Lofoten Islands for oil deposits worth an estimated $US 1 billion.  As the fishing industry slowly decreases, many local people see the oil companies interest as a potential boost to the local economy, but there is also some fierce local opposition.  \n\n\u201cThe oil companies want to drill for oil and create off-shore oil platforms which would be visible from the shoreline of Lofoten\u201d says Bente Lorentzen, leader of the local Nature and Youth group. \u201cThese islands are beautiful, we have three pairs of nesting sea eagles in the mountains above Henningsvaer and orca whales feeding in the fjords throughout the winter \u2013 any development would threaten the ecosystems around here which would affect not only tourism but the fishing industry too.\u201d\n\nThe Lofoten islands and the traditional cod fishery here is under threat from many sides.  Over-fishing and illegal fishing of cod in the Barents Sea threatens the future of the cod-fishing industry.  The Lofoten cod fishery has existed since before the Vikings, but the fish stocks here are beginning to show signs of decline.", "Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS-1D Mark II", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "22193/1000", "Image YResolution": "22193/1000", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS2 Windows", "Image DateTime": "2008:09:09 14:44:20", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image Copyright": "\u00a9 Jiri Rezac / WWF-UK", "Image ExifOffset": "2952", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "3722", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "4805", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/250", "EXIF FNumber": "9", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Aperture Priority", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "50", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2007:03:28 11:29:15", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2007:03:28 11:29:15", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "8", "EXIF ApertureValue": "51/8", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "-2/3", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "31", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "400", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "132", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "220000/71", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "585500/189", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard"}