The Natural Environment

The confluence of the warm Gulf Stream and the ice-cold waters off the Faroe Islands prove excellent living conditions for fish. This ideal climate and the clean Faroese waters constitute together an unsurpassable environment for our raw materials, ranking among the best in the world. Regular surveys and research, carried out by the Faroese Fisheries Laboratory (www.frs.fo) ensures us a basis for sustainable and responsible exploitation of the marine resources around the Faroe Islands.

History

The first settlers to the Faroe Islands may have been Irish monks, probably in the middle of the seventh century, seeking a tranquil refuge in these remote islands. What is better known and well documented, is the Norwegian colonization, beginning about a hundred years later and developing throughout the Viking Age, making the Faroes a central part of the Viking settlements along the coasts of the North Atlantic and the Irish Sea. 

The Viking settlers established their own parliament with local things in different parts of the islands and the main thing on Tinganes in Tórshavn. Christianity was proclaimed here about the turning of the last millennium. 

The seas around the Faroe Islands have always provided food for the locals, but in 1872, an old English sailing smack, named the Fox, was purchased for deep sea fishing far from the Faroese shore. The Faroe Islanders quickly earned the reputation of being among the best sailors and fishermen in the world, and the fishing industry grew until it became the main source of income for the islands. 

During the second World War, the islands were occupied by the British. The Faroese sailed fish to England despite the dangers, and many men were lost at sea. But the funds from this activity were used to lay the foundation of what today is one of the most modern fishing fleets in the world.