The winds and waves off the coast of Norway are agitated, and the sea water is cold and pure.
[Preface]
The Scandinavian Mountains, stretching for 1,700 km, divide the peninsula into two countries, East Sweden and West Norway. The glaciers plunge diagonally into the Norwegian Sea along the western slope, and the sea and currents continue to erode and carve, forming one island after another, fjords and natural harbours.
The Lofoten Islands, located within the Arctic Circle, are "bobcat feet" in Norwegian, and the narrow archipelago is like a cat's claw protruding from the mainland, separating the Norwegian Sea from the mainland, enveloping the westfjorden fjord. The climate in the fjord is suitable, and the sea is clear and pure. The underwater world here is inhabited by a group of amazing creatures - the world's largest school of cod.
Arctic cod is a Norwegian favorite
Nemo, is a fish, an Arctic cod. Native Norwegians call cod "skrei", which means "forward".
Its slender waist naturally outlines a perfect arc. On the chin, there is a signature yellow tentacle that naturally swings with the current.
It's spawning season again, and Nemo, with his tail wagging, migrates from the Barents Sea in the arctic ocean back to his birthplace, the westfjorden fjord off the coast of Norway.
An adventure of cod
In March in northern Norway, spring has not yet blossomed.
Nemo's bulging belly was much drier than a few months ago, and he had accomplished his mission to lay down millions of baby fish eggs in the fjords. The waters are stormy and the waters are cold and pure, suitable for reproduction.
Five years ago, Nemo's mother made an expedition from the Barents Sea in the northeast, giving birth to it and a large number of siblings, and then headed north.
Soon, the Nemos grew into a slender fish in the crystal clear waters. One day, Nemo suddenly awakened the memory of the inheritance, "To go to the north, where it is more suitable for growth." ”
Nearly half of the Norwegian Arctic cod are born in the waters off the Lofoten Islands. Its slender, thick appearance is known as "white gold" because it is rich in high-quality nutrients such as protein, vitamin B12, selenium, iodine and omega-3 fatty acids.
Crystal clear cod meat is called "white gold"
A few months old Nemo, traveling more than 1,000 kilometers north, came to the waters of the Barents Sea. It's close to the North Pole, but the Mexico Current keeps the southern oceans from freezing all year round, and is rich in plankton and nutrients, making it one of the world's four largest natural fisheries.
In just 5 years, Nemo grew to more than half a meter long and weighed more than a dozen pounds. After sexual maturity, Nemo, pregnant with a baby fish egg, has a voice in his head that guides him: back to the south.
Nemo began the second great migration of his life.
Along with millions of adult cod, Nemo trekked more than 1,000 kilometers to migrate to the place where he was born. Swinging round bodies, cod rushing through the scene, like the migration of the African savannah. As they return to breed, 900 billion cod eggs are evenly distributed in the waters around the Lofoten Islands.
After laying the eggs, Nemo is ready to return to the north like his parents. It did not know that in the sea ahead, a large fishing net was quietly waiting for it.
A full-loaded catch
On March 21, the beautiful town of Balsta. One night of heavy snow, the world turned white. Occasionally, red chalets appear, like late spring flowers.
"What the hell is the weather." Listening to the north wind outside the window, Stephen chanted a few words.
At three o'clock in the morning, the native fisherman got up. Stephen prides himself on being of the purest Viking blood, tough and strong, and adept at working in extreme cold.
"It's the best cod season!" Putting on an orange waterproof suit and blue-and-yellow one-piece rain boots, Stephen went out. Far away, his partner, McClen, was already waiting by the fishing boat.
From January to April, it is the spawning season for the Norwegian Arctic cod migration, also known as the Lofoten Fishing Flood Season. The archipelago is densely packed with fjords and is only suitable for small fishing boats like Stephen's.
Turning on the underwater radar and heading southeast for dozens of nautical miles, the fishing boat reached the open sea. This is the place where cod swim and spawn and return to the north.
"Slow down!" After a hello, Stephen stared at the radar screen, and small green dots slowly appeared on it, which were schools of cod under the sea.
The fishing boat shuts down its engines and hovers over the sea. "This is it, get off the net!"
Cod is caught in Norway by three methods, net fishing, longline fishing and hand fishing, of which more than 70% of nets are caught. In order to better protect fishing resources, trawling is not allowed in the offshore waters, Stephen and his partners chose danish purse seines, and waited quietly after being released from the net.
Stephen laid out some special nets, larger than those used by southern fishermen. "South of 62 degrees north latitude, fishing nets can catch fish under 44 cm long. And here (70 degrees north latitude), the fish caught in our nets must exceed 44 centimeters. To let more immature fish pass smoothly. ”
In the raging waves, Norwegian fishing boats go out to sea to catch Arctic cod.
At 8 o'clock in the morning, the sky was already bright, there were still snowflakes in the air, and the sea was very windy and waves.
"Net!" Stephen and McClen dragged the net, the tight rope constantly transmitting violent vibrations. "This net is not small." Halfway through the net, a cluster of blue-black fish heads jumped out of the water. This net is 300 to 400 kilograms, sold to a nearby cod processing plant, and can earn 5,000 Norwegian kronor (about 4,000 yuan).
For Norwegian Arctic cod, freshness is everything. A few hours after harvesting, they are sent to a nearby cod processing plant and frozen to minus 18 degrees Celsius.
A worker who came from afar
Huang Birong, from Nanning, Guangxi, China, is a worker on the assembly line of a cod processing plant. She has been working on cod in the town of Balsta for 13 years.
"It's a good deal here, there's a lot of off-season vacation time, and you can get the final salary." When it comes to life in Norway, Huang Birong has a look of satisfaction and happiness. 13 years ago, Huang Birong met a Norwegian man and came to Norway with him. Her husband worked at a car 4s shop in Balsta, and she became a fishery worker.
Processing cod is a technical job.
A cod passed through the production line, automatically cutting the head, removing the fish bone, cutting the tail, and transmitting it to Huang Birong, it was completely fish meat. A knife cuts off the bits and pieces of fish meat, a knife cuts open the belly of the fish, a knife cuts off the flesh of the fish, and the rest is the most essence, crispy fish backbone.
The requirements of the factory are very strict, a full set of professional protective clothing, and a plastic hat wrapped around the head. "Make sure not a single strand of hair falls off." The head of the processing plant said.
The Norwegian Arctic cod is a treasure.
The assessment of Huang Birong is also very strict, not only to calculate the weight of the cod, but also to see the proportion of the essence of the fish backbone, fish body meat and minced meat, "blindly pursuing the processing speed, will produce more cheap minced meat, resulting in the waste of cod."
The Norwegian Arctic cod is a treasure, and the tenderloin is a favorite part of the major restaurants on the European continent, and the meat is firm, elastic and chewy. The second is fish body meat, which is also widely sold, mostly purchased by families. Fish heads, most of which are sold to South Africa, have become local specialties on the table. Fish tail is the favorite of the British people for fish and chips. In addition, cod liver can be refined from cod liver oil, fish roe is a rare ingredient in seafood, and fish scales can be made into collagen.
A delicacy made with Arctic cod.
Cod soup is a local Norwegian dish.
Even cut-off fish meat is sold to a nearby market to make a variety of fish balls and soups.
The most distinctive thing is the Norwegian Arctic cod with its mouth and jaw, which hides a white, tender, refreshing fish tongue, which is a good choice for local chefs to cook food. Dried cod marinated in ancient methods has been a favorite food of the Portuguese for centuries.
Those memories
Cod, humans and war
In the coastal waters of Norway, more than 200 species of fish and shellfish, including Arctic cod, salmon, mackerel and large scallops, live. Among them, the most popular are Norwegian Arctic cod and salmon.
Arctic cod has a long lifespan, can live for 40 years, up to two meters, 60 kg. The head of the Norwegian Seafood Bureau told reporters that the silver cod and black cod often eaten in Chinese are not cod, one belongs to the order Perch, and one belongs to the order Perch. According to the zoological classification, there are only three species that can really be called cod: Atlantic cod, Greenland cod and Pacific cod. Norwegian Arctic cod belongs to the Atlantic cod, also known as the Atlantic cod.
Dried cod, pickled in ancient fashion, was an essential staple of the ancient Vikings' sea voyages.
For the Atlantic cod, the British fought three battles with the Icelanders, which is the famous Nordic cod war. Under the mediation of the European Community at that time, the British, who loved to fish for cod in the waters near Iceland, had to retreat three times, and Iceland's exclusive marine area was expanded from 12 nautical miles to 50 nautical miles and finally to 200 nautical miles. This maritime boundary has also been widely recognized by the international community and has become an international standard. This is the most far-reaching effect of the cod war.
Because of cod, the Norwegians also once fought with Icelanders. In 1992, cod resources in the waters around Iceland became scarce due to overfishing, and local fishermen began to paint waters called loopholes far from iceland. This sea, located between Norway and Russia, is a breeding area for cod, and Noor and Russia agreed to prohibit fishing.
Crossing norwegian waters, Icelander fishing boats crept up to the loophole. Soon, their actions were discovered by Norwegian fishermen. The Icelanders argue that this area is not any territorial water between Norway and Russia and that they have no right to ban fishing. In 1994, the conflict escalated, and extreme incidents such as fishermen cutting nets and civilian fires were constantly occurring. In 1995, after calming down, the three countries sat down to negotiate. It was not until 1999 that the three countries agreed to ban unauthorized fishing.
The ancient method of marinating dried cod has been passed down for hundreds of years.
The cod flesh is white, firm and has a perfect flake structure for a variety of cooking methods. Years ago, the Norwegians began working with Qingdao, China, to provide half of the total annual production of more than 200,000 tons of cod resources, processed and sold worldwide. Now, under the promotion of the Norwegian Seafood Bureau, more and more Norwegian and Chinese companies have begun to customize Norwegian cod products for the Chinese market, and have seized major supermarkets and e-commerce platforms, and Chinese foodies are also blessed.
West China Metropolis Daily - Cover News Reporter Yang Zhi