First conversations in Varangerfjord: Sea Sámi fisheries and what the project can offer  

Last March, the ArcticKnows team from Nofima held its first workshop with some stakeholders in the Varangerfjord pilot area in northern Norway, a region defined by the sea, fishing, and by the culture and knowledge of the Sea Sámi communities who have lived and worked here for generations. 

The conversation was honest and open. 

Exactly what we were hoping for this first meeting. 

A community that knows what it needs 

The local fishing organisations and community representatives were keen to participate in shaping the direction of the project in the Varangerfjord and defining the questions that need to be addressed. What matters for them is whether ArcticKnows can offer something genuinely useful:  data that documents the importance of coastal fishing for local communities, approaches that make their local and traditional knowledge visible in governance processes, and channels for meaningful engagement that go beyond the token consultations they have experienced before. 

Their directness told us exactly where to focus. 

The people we met came prepared. They had questions, not just answers.  

What will the project actually document? How will we include the women and the young people in our work? And how will the project contribute to the community? 

What came out of the conversation was both a set of priorities and a boundary, and the project will have to earn the right to answer both. 

• Documenting the economic and cultural weight of coastal fishing for local communities 

• Integrating traditional and scientific knowledge in coastal resource management 

• Strengthening meaningful community participation in coastal zone planning processes 

• Increasing the visibility and role of women and young people in the fishing sector and in decision-making arenas 

Next August 2026 in Nesseby 

The group extended an invitation that reflects their commitment to this process. They proposed to host the ArcticKnows annual meeting in Nesseby in late August and during the Vuonnamárkanat, the annual fair of traditional Sámi handicrafts. They are ready to welcome the full consortium to their community and their culture. 

It is an act of generosity that sets the tone for what this collaboration can become.

The work in Varangerfjord has the foundation to build on mutual honesty about what research can and cannot do and feel solid.