The coastlines of both Norway and Portugal are home to both large sections of population and a plethora of natural resources, and the project "Celebrating Coastal Culture" emphasises the importance of coastal culture to the two countries. The Tromsø seminar was hosted by Museum Nord and the University of Tromsø, who have partnered with 6 Portuguese coastal culture organisations to develop the project.
A ten man strong delegation from the Portuguese project arrived in Tromsø, experiencing the summer of Northern Norway at its best and brightest. In addition to sharing the experiences of the Portuguese project, the guests heard how the coastal population of Northern Norway face challenges related to fisheries and the preservation and development of coastal culture. A visit to Vannøya, a nearby island dominated by the fisheries, provided participants with hands-on experience with the Norwegian approach.
The project, receiving €0.4 million in support from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, will make the coastal cultural heritage of Portugal more easily available to the public through developing a database of cultural heritage objects. The presentation of cultural heritage wasthe focus of the seminar`s third day, when both the Norwegian and Portuguese participants shared their methods of promoting coastal culture.