Camilla Brattland presented the Máhtut project and the coastal Sámi food traditions at the international conference on nominating stockfish as UNESCO cultural heritage, held in Mehamn, Finnmark, from June 12th to 16th, 2025. During her presentation, she highlighted the rich diversity and adaptability of coastal Sámi food traditions, emphasizing the practice of drying and preserving guoikeguolli—dried cod or stockfish—as a vital element of both coastal and fjord cultures. This tradition not only served as a significant source of income but also fostered connections with external markets. Drawing from the Máhtut project, which focuses on documenting and passing down knowledge of coastal Sámi foods such as guopparmális (cod roe soup), she stressed the importance of engaging children and young people in preserving these valuable food traditions for future generations.

Fishing and utilization of cod, other whitefish, salmon, and marine animals is the basis for coastal Sámi food traditions and relies on intimate knowledge of Sámi terminology as well as boat skills, as illustrated in this video produced for the stockfish nomination process:

The work with the Norwegian nomination is led by Slow Food Bergen with the newly established Slow Food Mearra-Sápmi as a co-applicant together with the coastal Sámi fisheries organization Bivdu.

The nomination focuses on stockfish as an international cultural heritage based on stockfish traditions in the coastal Sámi areas (Mearra-Sápmi) and its ties to countries to which stockfish was exported (Italy, Germany, Nigeria, Portugal). The conference included tasting of local and international foods based on cod and stockfish from the area, and visits to traditional stockfish producers in Dyfjord, Smalfjord, and Kjøllefjord. The nomination of stockfish has a goal to lift the cultural heritage of stockfish food production in danger of disappearing due to low cod quotas in a competitive fresh fish market. The international heritage is based on Sámi, Norwegian and Icelandic stockfish production, and a rich food culture in Italy, Nigeria and other consumer countries. The importance of preserving and continuing the traditional knowledge of production and food preparation has significance for both northern coastal culture and European food culture in general. The conference was supported by the Sami Parliament of Norway and the Finnmark County. The political advisor to the Sami Parliament, Sandra Márjá West, in her speech emphasized the guoikeguolli – stockfish as an important part of coastal Sámi heritage. The Sámi Parliament has also done a significant job on food systems the last three years. The president of the Sámi Parliament has been a member of the Indigenous food coalition in the UN Food and Agriculture Organizaton (FAO) in Rome. Read the speech here:

Tale ved tørrfiskseminar i Mehamn – Sametinget

Camilla Brattland
Associate Professor
The Arctic University of Norway