Last week we left Scheveningen in Holland (I also wonder why Scheveningen is called Scheveningen). We left Holland (where absolutely nothing is natural) and sailed for 5 days North. When we entered the West Fjord we saw the snowy mountains on our starboard side with the early morning sun giving it more beautiful colours than some of us had ever seen before in our lives.

A few hours later we passed the breakwaters of Svolvær with the statue of the fisherman’s wife overlooking the sea and right behind her we saw the racks with drying torsk (cod). That is why I am here: to make sure that when I sail into Svolvær again 20 years from now (hopefully on a small sailing boat) those racks with drying torsk are still there like they have been already for at least hundreds of years.

I went for a walk in Svolvaer to have a look at the drying racks and I came across a skip with torsk heads, and some of them were bigger than the size of the complete cod I have seen being caught on the Viking bank near the Shetlands.

Shetlands...why are those islands called Shetlands? Who cares, what matters is that I see a lot a similarities with Lofoten. I am sure that 40 years ago there was not much difference between the two areas: both groups of islands, far away from the rest of the world, totally depending on what the sea gives.

Last journey we were with the Esperanza in Lerwick (Shetland), and yes, there were still a few local fishing boats but if you ask me they all looked a bit sad. But you know what looked good in the harbour? The brand new 60 meter 30.000000 Euro trawlers, all owned by one family.

It would be very very sad if next time I come to Svolvær all I can find is an newly built jetty for the big trawlers, empty drying racks and a skip with cod heads the size of a peanut if there are any at all.

But don't worry about your fisheries because the Oil Industry is coming to town. Who needs fishing? The Oil industry is a bit like Santa Claus, that brings presents so that you all can drive in a big car and knock down your traditional houses to build ugly fancy ones, like they did in Shetland, and what is even better: no more fish smell in Lofoten.

But as many communities have seen the oil industry will leave. And if you are lucky they will leave without a big oil spill here on the islands. Uncle Oil has left Shetland pretty much. Not without a huge oil spill. Hang on hang on, that's not fair, blaming Shetland oil industry for the Braer disaster. That oil came from... Norway.

Now we have tankers coming from Murmansk sailing along the Lofoten coast closer than the Braer was sailing south of Shetland. Shetland getting oil from Norway. big chance Lofoten gets oil from Murmansk sooner or later. Murmansk getting oil from?? I don't know yet. But I am sure the oil industry knows. Maybe it is not a bad idea to keep the tankers a bit further away from the Lofoten for the time being. Just in case.

So Lofoten people, here is the deal: 20 years from now I set sail from Scheveningen once again, in my small sailingboat, course North. After 5 days in the early morning I see mountains, with snow please, on my starboard side. A bit later I see Røst on my port side,

In the late afternoon I enter Svolvær, I salute the fishermans wife on the breakwater, and then I see the drying racks full of torsk, the harbour is still the same. I go for a walk to the drying racks and the size of the cod heads in the skip is still the same. I promise I won't steal any of YOUR torsk.

Regards Frank Kamp, Captain of the Esperanza