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Ness in Lewis will be the venue of a 3-day international conference on 'Traditions of sea-bird fowling in the North Atlantic region' from Thursday 9 th -Saturday 11 th September. Discussions will focus on the historical and present-day significance of fowling in various parts of the North Atlantic, covering both ecological and cultural aspects, placing in a wider context the annual expedition still made by the men of Ness to Sulasgeir to harvest guga (young gannets). The conference has been organised by The Islands Book Trust, based in Ness, and will include speakers from the Faroes, Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Ireland as well as Scotland. Over 50 people are expected to attend, both locals and visitors, and special arrangements are being made to accommodate visitors locally.
Speaking ahead of the conference, John Randall, chairman of The Islands Book Trust, said:
It is not every day that an international gathering of this kind takes place in Lewis, let alone Ness , and we are delighted to have attracted such an excellent range of speakers for what promises to be an unforgettable occasion. These include Dods Macfarlane, who will give an illustrated talk on Sulasgeir traditions. Other areas which will feature during the three days include the Blaskets, Skelligs and Rathlin island in Ireland , St Kilda, Orkney and Shetland, Mykines in the Faroes, Westmann in Iceland , and the Lofoten islands in Norway .
A certain amount of improvisation will be necessary, as last year when we held our Martin Martin conference, but experience suggests that this actually adds to the enjoyment of those attending. I am grateful to Comunn Eachdraidh Nis and the Cross Inn who will be providing venues and refreshments, and to all those who are offering B and B facilities for the visitors.
We are hoping that local people from Ness and throughout Lewis will come to many of the sessions to share their experience of fowling traditions with our visitors from abroad. As well as talks, there will be films and songs associated with fowling, an exhibition, a ceilidh, and a taste of guga at one of the evening meals. Please get in touch with Murdo MacSween at the Comunn Eachdraidh if you would like more details, or to book places in advance.'
The background to the conference is the widespread historical practice of people living in remote and often infertile islands to supplement their diets by harvesting sea-birds such as fulmar, gannet, puffin, and their eggs. Feathers and oil from birds were also valuable. The economy of St Kilda, for instance, was largely dependant on sea-birds, and recent research suggests that the high infant death rate on the island may have been linked to this. Sea-bird fowling is still practised in areas such as the Faroes, and in all areas has given rise to a rich cultural heritage, although the nature of fowling, the equipment used, and the folklore associated with it varies from place to place according to geography and economic and social circumstances. All these aspects will be covered at the conference, as well as an examination of the ecological impact of harvesting sea-birds on the populations of the birds affected.
Speakers at the conference include:
John Baldwin ( Edinburgh ) - an overview of cultural traditions around the British Isles
Eeva-Liisa Hallanaro ( Finland ) - the sustainability of sea-bird fowling in the North
John Love (South Uist) - sea-bird fowling and resources in Scotland
Patricia Lysaght ( Ireland ) - cultural traditions of sea-bird fowling in Ireland
Bergur Olsen (Faroes) - traditions of sea-bird fowling in the Faroes
Dods Macfarlane ( Ness ) - fowling on Sulasgeir
Havard Bratrein ( Norway ) - cultural traditions of sea-bird fowling in Norway
Aevar Patersen ( Iceland ) - fowling traditions in Iceland
There will also be sessions for discussion, films of fowling on St Kilda, the Faroes and Norway , songs associated with fowling, an exhibition about the annual Sulasgeir guga expeditions, and a celidh.
The conference will take place at the Ness Heritage Centre, Habost, Ness , from lunch-time on Thursday 9 September until lunch-time on Saturday 11 September. Evening sessions will take place at the Cross Inn. It is possible to attend the whole conference or individual sessions, and prior booking is advisable. Overnight accommodation in Ness can be arranged for those who need this. For full details and for bookings, please contact Murdo MacSween at the Ness Heritage Centre (tel 01851 810377 or murdo_macsween@yahoo.co.uk ) or visit The Islands Book Trust's website www.theislandsbooktrust.com
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