FACE-IT, the project Future Arctic Lives and the Porsanger Municipality invited to a workshop about the future Porsangerfjorden from the stake- and rightholders point of view! On 03 and 04 May, fishermen, young people and others from the Porsangerfjord’s local population joined in Lakselv and Honningsvåg to discuss possible future visions for the use of the fjord’s resources in the future.

Programme of Wednesday, 03 May:

• Camilla Risvoll and Majken Bjørkan informed about FACE-IT and preliminary results at the Lakselv Videregående Skole (the high school in inner part of the fjord). Additionally, a ‘teaser workshop’ was given to provide some idea about how the research works and what topics will be discussed at the next workshop in autumn 2023.
• Participation in a meeting with the planning section of the Porsanger Municipality, the Sami Parliament, the Institute for Marine Research IMR and the research project ‘Future Arctic Lives’ in discussing and planning for the ongoing process towards pursuing the project ‘Porsanger 3.0’, which is about restoring the fjord system (with a focus on the local cod population).
• Participation in a local village meeting about wild and pink salmon.

Programme of Thursday, 04 May:

• Visit of the coastal sea sami centre Mearrasiida and conversations with the leadership on the research plans of FACE-IT and Future Arctic Lives during their stay in the Porsanger region.
• Workshop with students from the Nordkapp Videregående skole (high school with focus on natural resources and fishing/aquaculture) and fishermen. The workshop was held at the school and 43 students attended in addition to 8 fishermen, the headmaster of the highschool, some teachers and representatives from Nordkapp Municipality. The Porsanger municipality and two representatives from the Sami Parliement also attended. The main activity was to carry out a participatory mapping.
• Informal meeting with fishermen in the small fishing village of Gjesvær, including the project ‘Future Arctic Lives’, and the Porsanger municipality.

Photos: Camilla Risvoll