Fishermen on Røst told us how they in the 70s witnessed the big trawlers deliberately destroy of the reefs: they put down the trawl, without the net, and dragged it across the reef, back and forth, to crush the corals. Ta-daa: nice and flat - no more corals - no more nets getting stuck!

Where it was not possible to fish even with lines you can now set nets, the fishermen told us. In 2002, after two decades of bottom trawling, the biggest cold-water reef on the planet was discovered outside Røst, the size of Manhattan. Makes me wonder what it had looked like before the big trawlers came into the picture.

So we decided to go and see what is really down there. We are now drifting on the outer edge of Skatskallen bank, 15 miles off the Vesterålen islands. Wolf and Frank, our German ROV-team, started by lowering a little underwater camera. We now operate with the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to check the seabed. It can be a bit complicated, depending on currents and wind, but today the weather is good. We have this little container on deck, with all sorts of screens and buttons, from which Wolf can steer the ROV and see what the camera picks up. It’s all very high-tech and reminds me of these stakeout vans you always see in American action movies.

(We are currently within range for the GPRS card, so that I can be online although the connection is a little bit dodgy. It helps to stand on the bridge on one leg and sing the theme from Popeye.)