Iceland - Hunting - Puffin hunter in Vestmannaeyjar

Puffin hunter Jakob Erlingsson patiently waits for a puffin just the right distance away before swinging his net upwards to catch it. Puffin hunting has been of major importance in Vestmannaeyjar and during the hunting season of just over 6 weeks every year, some 16,000 puffins were caught to make up Iceland’s national dinner. However by 2011 and 2012, breeding failures had taken such a toll that puffin hunting was banned in the Vestmannaeyjar. In 2013 a five-day puffin-hunting season was allowed at the end of July.

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Image Size: 2202x2724 / 657.9KB; Tessa Bunney Europe Iceland Vestmannaeyjar Westmann Islands island tradition culture puffin hunting hunt catch catching release releasing food Icelandic national dinner hunter bird seabird sea coast decoy
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Puffin hunter Jakob Erlingsson patiently waits for a puffin just the right distance away before swinging his net upwards to catch it. Puffin hunting has been of major importance in Vestmannaeyjar and during the hunting season of just over 6 weeks every year, some 16,000 puffins were caught to make up Iceland’s national dinner. However by 2011 and 2012, breeding failures had taken such a toll that puffin hunting was banned in the Vestmannaeyjar. In 2013 a five-day puffin-hunting season was allowed at the end of July.