Gone fishing by Michel Petillo

May 19 2014 and the fishing season draws slowly to an end. The once bountiful North Atlantic no longer provides the tens of tons of daily catch for the local fishermen of Røst.

May 19 2014 and the fishing season draws slowly to an end. The once bountiful North Atlantic no longer provides the tens of tons of daily catch for the local fishermen of Røst.

Røst the most south-westerly island cluster of the Lofoten – with Røstlandet as the main island – is situated approximately 115 km north of the Artic circle. Its hundreds of islands, islets and skerries are surrounded by some of the most hostile seas in Norway(1). The fishing season starts around the end of August and reaches its peak during the months of February through to the end April when fish supplied via the Gulf Stream from the Barents Sea reaches the waters of Røst. By the time the industrial trawlers and all other non-indigenous fishermen have left, the sea merely renders a few tons of fish on a good day. Only a handful of local fishermen like Stig Are Jørgensen and his brother Tom Rune still get up at 4 am and go to sea for a ten to twelve hour shift.

This time of year the sea can still be quite rough and experiencing all four seasons in one day is no exception. I was amazed to see that those local fishermen in their forties muster day after day the strength, energy and love for their trade. Even on days when going to sea is not on the agenda, due to weather conditions or a lesser catch the previous day, mending the nets, boat repairs and maintenance keep them occupied. Their respect for the sea and the elements makes them expert judges on where and when to harvest, when it is time for maintenance and repairs, to rest, or socialise with friends and family at the local pub with a beer, or two, but frequently more. The once linear experience of time makes room – extended with the rise of the midnight sun – for a schedule that does not include the idea of free weekends or for that matter, a “normal” circadian rhythm all together. During the height of the fishing season Stig and Tom are assisted by Torstein. Torstein lives in Bodø, a four-hour boat journey to mainland Norway. Well in his fifties Torstein has been a loyal ship’s mate to the Jørgensen duo for over fifteen years. His story is no different from that of any other non-local fishermen who migrate for an eight month period to Røst, leaving behind their families in order to make a living. For eight months the rorbu – a fisherman’s cabin that also serves as a place for stocking boat utilities and fishing equipment – located at the docking jetty in the marina, becomes his home. Although rudimentary in terms of comfort, the rorbu has a sense of cosiness and belonging with regularly held boiled coffee and smoking sessions when on terra firma. The fisherman longs for the sound of silence and therefore seems quite the loner. It is the quietness, the freedom from mental clutter that draws him out to the vast sea in the early morning. The men talk, enjoy their “roll-ups” and seem to mentally withdraw at regular intervals. A heavy but relaxing silence fills the room. A last pull on the cigarette butt and it is back to work.

A surf and turf economy in decline

Fishermen are very well respected on the island. Their trade is the first step in a supply chain that powers the local economy. On the island you will find a couple of merchants who will provide the Norwegian and international markets with fresh fish, salted and or dried cod and stock fish. Galleries of the dried fish decorate the rather flat and wind swept landscape of Røstlandet till the beginning of June when it is ready for export to the south of Europe and Africa. However, the majority of the population no longer considers fishing a profitable business. In the last ten years the average price per kilo of fish has dropped by 50 % and so has the local fleet – a mere fifteen or so local boats remain in a community that counts six hundred inhabitants. In recent years local fishermen and young men of working age in search of higher wages have left the island to join the flourishing Norwegian oil industry. This has led to a general concern that Røst as a community might cease to exist in the near future, as fishing is no longer considered worth the effort. The first signs are clearly there. Although children are quite enthusiastic about fishing and getting out to sea, parents on the other hand, steer them clear of the fishing profession and try to set them on an alternative career path. In Røst, as in so many other local fishing communities, fishing and sheep herding go hand in hand. Because of the seasonal character of fishing, local fishing families would also have a sideline business in sheepskin and lamb meat. This naturally salted meat has an extraordinary flavour as a result of the sheep’s seaweed diet. The transport of sheep to greener pastures on neighbouring islands by boat is a recurring activity and for Stig and his brother it means helping out their mother with the logistics of sheep rearing. In return, family lunch with delicious organic lamb and cabbage stew on the menu definitely makes up for the effort.

Sustainable fishing and the local ecosystem under pressure

Røst is renowned for having the largest seabird colonies in Norway. They are a key element in sustaining the local land-sea ecosystem and their population trends can be seen as a key indicator for changes in the marine environment. Seabirds depend heavily on specific prey found at sea for their survival and rearing of their young.(2) However, the local sea bird population has dropped. According to the islanders the main reason is the shortage of small fish brought about by industrial size trawlers that hoover up all fish from big to small. The final scenario is easy to imagine when small fish run out of stock. Vedøy Island provides a graphic display of the impact of overfishing. Twenty years ago the arena shaped rock face of the mountain rise on the island would have been occupied as breeding ground for herring gull chicks, and the eerie cries of thousands of birds could be heard as far as Røstlandet. Today only a tiny fraction of this bird population remains. The majestic cliff is now an almost silent witness of what was once a major breeding area for these birds. Going to Røst is leaving all your pre-conceived ideas about hospitality, hard work and the fishing trade behind, to enter a universe where people still have a sense of true community spirit, who harvest nature’s best in harmony with what the sea and land decides to provide. But it is not all romantic. A rapidly changing economic reality and industrial fishing risks changing the fragile ecosystem beyond repair and edging Røst as a community and its local culture towards a downward slope. It would be sad to see that the thriving community of Røst would be forced to undergo the same fate as other small islands such as Tory Island in Ireland, where it proved to be more economically viable to abandon fishing all together and thus extinguishing a way of life that only contributes to the richness of the planet in terms of cultural diversity and community spirit.

Sources: 1,2 Baines, S., Anker-Nilssen, T. , The birds of Røst, Røst Kommune.

More Stories

Stunning portraits by Babak Fatholahi

Stunning portraits by Babak Fatholahi

After the art of photographing I love painting the most, especially to the portrait genre. And I always try out to benefits from the specific and unique features of old paintings in my art works.
Abandoned places; Impermanence by Dawn Heumann

Abandoned places; Impermanence by Dawn Heumann

These photographs depicting abandonment expose the vulnerability of our existence by facing decay and loss. Metaphorically speaking the places in this series symbolize what we fear most:
Soliloquy by Kazunori Nagashima

Soliloquy by Kazunori Nagashima

The independent modern woman is described in tones of perceptively lyrical and surreal feeling throughout the series, with the mood of the central character filling the air.
https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bannerpr.jpg

We invite you to participate in the first edition of the Portrait Photography Awards. Our call is open to any artistic interpretation of portrait photography.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/BAnImage.jpg

ImageRights provides intelligent image search and copyright enforcement services to photo agencies and professional photographers worldwide.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/mono2022.jpg

The best 100 images along with the winning images published in the yearly book “Monochromatic – Best Photographers of 2022”

Call For Entries #24 | After 23 editions and more than 100 published photographers, our print edition has proven to be a simply effective promotional channel.

Abstraction by Mihai Florea

Abstraction by Mihai Florea

For me photography is a spiritual act, an inner conviction and a desire to abstract essence beyond the material world. I'm interested in something which is built up from within, rather than just a superficial image.
Wildlife portraits by Nick Dale

Wildlife portraits by Nick Dale

I wanted to be a photographer when I was 15, but my mother said I could always take it up later – so that was that for 30 years! I ended up reading English at Oxford and working as a strategy consultant for a few years
Jacqueline du Pré; Madonna litta by Peyman Naderi

Jacqueline du Pré; Madonna litta by Peyman Naderi

The collection is a tribute to the famous cellist Jacqueline du Pré, a famous British musician who died at a young age. In this series, I have tried not to see the female face at first, so that the viewer's perception remains without judgment, and when she begins to see the rest of the photographic works, she realizes the feelings of this dominant musician.
Chatting with Yvon Buchmann : 4th place General Category – HIPA 2015

Chatting with Yvon Buchmann : 4th place General Category – HIPA 2015

This photograph which has been awarded to the HIPA was conceived in an unusual way for me.
Thierry Dulau : The Blue Hour

Thierry Dulau : The Blue Hour

I am Thierry Dulau, a french Graphic designer and Photographer in Aquitaine (France). I love capturing beautiful sites of France (castles, medieval towns, cities ...) This country has a very rich heritage and you only have to wait towards the end of day
Hospital – Portraits of spaces and people by Dimitris Mytas

Hospital – Portraits of spaces and people by Dimitris Mytas

Photographs of Hospital project constitute a form of narrative as Dimitris tells the stories of the people and spaces of his daily life, which he studies, edits and directs in absolute precision.
Lonely Cottages- Across Oceans by Abhijit Bose

Lonely Cottages- Across Oceans by Abhijit Bose

They look beautiful, gracious and sometimes mysterious! They are lonely cottages carrying a bag full of stories! I first met them in India, my own country.
Final days of Georgian nomads by Natela Grigalashvili

Final days of Georgian nomads by Natela Grigalashvili

Mountainous Adjara is one of the most distinguished regions of Georgia. The traditions and the old ways of life have been preserved to this day in this area. The isolation and alienation of inhabitants of this mountainous area has been an ongoing issue for a long time.
Flower photography; Past Perfect by Polina Plotnikova

Flower photography; Past Perfect by Polina Plotnikova

The approach to flower photography that I take is somewhat similar to that of a portrait photographer - for every flower and plant that I photograph, I always try to find its unique look, study its mood and character, and ultimately unlock the hidden beauty of my models.
Neverland by Robb Johnson

Neverland by Robb Johnson

Neverland is a visual chapter in my ongoing body of work, which addresses the journey we are all on, our lives and experiences. I have pondered this subject since my 30’s and it still leaves a giant question that seems to go in a circle.
In The Land Of The Northern Lights

In The Land Of The Northern Lights

It is a video of the Northern Lights created using stills (stop motion). All sequences are shot in or close to Tromsø in Northern Norway.
Timo Heiny ; My Africa

Timo Heiny ; My Africa

He felt immediately in love with this "paradise which respired greatness and freedom", as Tanja Blixen described in her poetic souvenirs in "Out of Africa".
Impressions of nature by Neil Broadway

Impressions of nature by Neil Broadway

My photographic work, rather than being a precise documentary record, attempts to capture the feel, the atmosphere and the impressions evoked by the wonders of the natural world.
Bernhard Lang specializes in Aerial Photography.

Bernhard Lang specializes in Aerial Photography.

Since 2010 he is working on his project Aerial Views, photographing numerous sceneries from above like container harbors, beach resorts, coal mines, soccer fields, …
Audacity and Insolence; The Sacred Fire by François Maurel

Audacity and Insolence; The Sacred Fire by François Maurel

The gang war and drug trafficking continue to be our own global curse. Europe and the United States are the main consumers. In recent years, West Africa and New Caledonia have become part of the new drug route to send drugs to Australia and Japan.
The Medina of Marrakech by Benjamin Angel

The Medina of Marrakech by Benjamin Angel

The Medina of Marrakech is a fascinating place in many respects.  It enjoys a unique location, near the  high Atlas Mountains of central Morocco.  Founded in the early years of the Almoravid dynasty, around 1065, it is surrounded by high walls. 

Featured Stories

The 10 Commandments by Dina Goldstein

The 10 Commandments by Dina Goldstein

The narrative seeks to examine the socio-political makeup of America through its political icons - the presidential figures that mark the most notable and controversial chapters in American history.
Michele Palazzo ; Street Photography

Michele Palazzo ; Street Photography

Michele Palazzo. Italian by blood, Architect by training, and Photographer by heart. Visual storyteller, weaving narratives through people’s movements and emotions. He lives and operate in New York.
My Name is Shahrukh by Debiprasad Mukherjee

My Name is Shahrukh by Debiprasad Mukherjee

These were the first few words uttered by a 7 year old, when he was rescued by the RPF from Platform No.4 of Sealdah Station, Kolkata, India. As the little child pushed his way through the crowd of thousands of people in the platform,
Kid Jockeys by Alain Schroeder

Kid Jockeys by Alain Schroeder

Once a game between neighbors to celebrate a good harvest, horse racing was transformed into a spectator sport by the Dutch in the 20th century to entertain officials and nobility.
Rodeo; Behind the chute by Leigh Ann Edmonds

Rodeo; Behind the chute by Leigh Ann Edmonds

Behind the chute project was selected and published in our print edition 18. The connection and reliance between humans and their livestock had me fully embracing the deep- rooted traditions of the rodeo and the people involved.
Splits of moments by Moin Uddin Ahmed

Splits of moments by Moin Uddin Ahmed

Almost every good shot captures a unique moment in time. Sometimes the moment happens right away, and sometimes you have to wait a while. It can be as simple as a woman glancing up or as complex as having many disparate elements align within a perfect composed frame.
Self-portraiture; Made in the shade by Chloe Meynier

Self-portraiture; Made in the shade by Chloe Meynier

Made in the shade project was selected and published in our print edition 18. Through a mise-en-scene self-portraiture series, Made in the Shade depicts characters in Mid Century Modern settings, mirroring an era that was aspiring for change.
Saving Orangutans by Alain Schroeder

Saving Orangutans by Alain Schroeder

This series documents the incongruous behavior between man and the environment in Sumatra. On the one hand, humans destroy virgin forests wounding and killing animals, while on the other, they do everything possible to save them.
I Never told Anyone by Bénédicte Vanderreydt

I Never told Anyone by Bénédicte Vanderreydt

These seven images represent the women in Bénédicte Vanderreydt’s family that have been oppressed and objectified by a male dominated society, at a time when personal honour was of great significance to men.
Erik Johansson ; An Amazing World

Erik Johansson ; An Amazing World

Erik Johansson is a photographer and retoucher from Sweden based in Prague, Czech Republic and Sweden. He is working on both personal and commissioned projects with clients all around the world. Erik Johansson doesn't capture moments, he captures ideas.
Covid; Portrait series by Alkan Emin

Covid; Portrait series by Alkan Emin

Covid had struck planet earth and I was literally lost in all of my thoughts. I had these visions of the world ending and I felt like I was in a prison in my mind with all of this. 
The fashion photography of Sean Archer

The fashion photography of Sean Archer

Fashion Photography ; Sean Archer is an agent from the movie Face Off. I took the nickname when I was not sure if I'm any good in this. My real name is Stanislav Puchkovsky, I am from Yekaterinburg, Russia.
Second Best by Nikolai Linares

Second Best by Nikolai Linares

Historically we always only focus on the winners so giving a name and a face to the people who come in second was Nikolai Linares whole idea.
Petricor by Joaquin Bas Ros

Petricor by Joaquin Bas Ros

The 20 photographs that compose this portfolio are part of those included in Petricor, a photobook that aims to be a mirror of what is sadly beginning to be known as "Empty Spain".
Ramnami Community by Sanghamitra Sarkar

Ramnami Community by Sanghamitra Sarkar

Low-caste Hindus in the eastern state of Chhattisgarh first began tattooing their bodies and faces more than 100 years ago as an act of devotion and defiance after being denied entry to temples and forced to use separate wells.
The Cattle Camps of South Sudan by Trevor Cole

The Cattle Camps of South Sudan by Trevor Cole

The Mundari cattle camp, seldom visited by outsiders, is quite simply incredible. I saw Sebastiao Salgado’s photos of these camps years ago and there was little change that I could see.

Trending Stories

After dark by Ljubica Denkovic

After dark by Ljubica Denkovic

For Ljubica Denkovic, photography is a space that varies meanings, making them stranger, questioning the known, instilling new senses, playing with aesthetic categories.
Anatomy of a photograph by Zuzu Valla

Anatomy of a photograph by Zuzu Valla

The series ''In The Bath'' came into my mind one day when I was walking home from town, feeling weary of life and the weather.
Graphique project by Stephane Navailles

Graphique project by Stephane Navailles

I have been practising photo since 1993, the year when I discovered San Francisco, its tramcars and hip hop culture. The town appealed to me as much as in my memory of the film Bullit, I'd seen a few years before.
Lost Contacts by Kirk Ellingham

Lost Contacts by Kirk Ellingham

10 years ago whilst studying documentary photography at Newport I worked part-time at a notorious homeless shelter in Cardiff.
“The Hollywood Sign: New Perspectives” A Limited Edition Print Series by Ted VanCleave

“The Hollywood Sign: New Perspectives” A Limited Edition Print Series by Ted VanCleave

Ted VanCleave's new photographic series “The Hollywood Sign: New Perspectives” presents the famous Hollywood Sign from unique perspectives not available to the public.
The big dream of small towns by Wojciech Karliński

The big dream of small towns by Wojciech Karliński

Blocks - complexes of apartments connected by a common spatial structure, in larger agglomerations functioning as blocks of flats. Their construction, supported in the communist-ruled Poland, was a sign of progress, especially since before the war.
Five minutes with Irvin Rivera

Five minutes with Irvin Rivera

I am a published, self-taught photographer who loves movies, literature, music and coffee.
Iceland ; Visions of earth by Massimo Lupidi

Iceland ; Visions of earth by Massimo Lupidi

An aerial photo, an immediate feeling of naturalness, of amazing experience. Seeing from a bird's perspective is not consistent with seeing from the ground.
Tenure by Kathryn Weinstein

Tenure by Kathryn Weinstein

Tenure project was selected and published in our print edition 18. Tenure describes the act of holding or possessing, as well as the status granted after a probationary period that protects one from dismissal.
Five minutes with Holly Kehrt

Five minutes with Holly Kehrt

I loved taking photos of my son and I thought to myself “ I want to take better photos of him, and maybe I will sign up for a photography class”. I had no idea of where to start, but I knew I needed a basic photography course.
Chris Kirby ; We gave you forgiveness… (you kept the Krugerrands)

Chris Kirby ; We gave you forgiveness… (you kept the Krugerrands)

Two decades after Nelson Mandela was elected, and after the much lauded peace and reconciliation process, racial tension in South Africa is still a major issue. Many believe that the country has become more divided as the economy
The American dream by Jean-Mathieu Saponaro

The American dream by Jean-Mathieu Saponaro

The American Dream. Has it become just a dream today? Embark on the US roads, from New York to the Deep South. Pass by scenes that seem like frozen in time and which maintain the flame of a former glory.

Other Stories

stay in touch
Join our mailing list and we'll keep you up to date with all the latest stories, opportunities, calls and more.
We use Sendinblue as our marketing platform. By Clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provided will be transferred to Sendinblue for processing in accordance with their terms of use
We’d love to
Thank you for subscribing!
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted.
- Between 10/30 images of your best images, in case your project contains a greater number of images which are part of the same indivisible body of work will also be accepted. You must send the images in jpg format to 1200px and 72dpi and quality 9. (No borders or watermarks)
- A short biography along with your photograph. (It must be written in the third person)
- Title and full text of the project with a minimum length of 300 words. (Texts with lesser number of words will not be accepted)
This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Contact
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted. This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation.
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Get in Touch
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.