The Faroe Islands come to Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre!

Fishing was once the main occupation in Grimsby and crews often set off on expeditions to waters near the Faroe Islands and interacted with fellow fishermen from the area too.

The Fishing Heritage Centre is a lasting monument to Grimsby’s rich culture in the fishing industry, something the Faroe Islands’ Fishing Minster and other officials learnt about during their visit on Wednesday, 10 September.

They were given a tour of the Ross Tiger by former Skipper Bob Mogg and an in depth look at the museum itself by Operational Manager David Ornsby, who also has strong family connections to the fishing industry.

On the visit was Jóhan Christiansen, Fisheries Minister; Elin Mortensen , Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries; Kate Sanderson, Head of Faroese Representation in London; Marita Rasmussen, Director of the Faroe Marine Research Institute; Símun Grønadal, adviser, Ministry of Fisheries and Janet Skarðsá, adviser, Ministry of Fisheries.

Organising the event in partnership with the Heritage Centre was Torkil Davidsen, Head of Bakkafrost UK, and Amy Salisbury, Founder of Particular & Co. Her family have over 200 years of heritage in Grimsby’s fishing history with many generations of Amy’s family helping bring fish back to Grimsby Docks.

Speaking about the visit and its importance, she said: “I’m all about promoting Grimsby and it’s fishing heritage. Although it may not be what it once was, it’s still huge terms of processing and it’s important that we keep that message alive and well.”

She added: “Visits like this are very important to help keep relationships as strong as always. The Faroe Islands and Grimsby have a close history with one another and I don’t want that to change.”

For the centre, it was a prestigious moment to welcome another nation to the area. David Ornsby, Operations Manager, said: “It’s lovely to welcome our visitors from the Faroe Islands to celebrate our shared heritage and the historic links that we have with neighbouring nations because of the fishing industry.

“This history is a huge part Grimsby’s story and we want to preserve that memory for future generations to understand how Grimsby came to be what we know it as today.

“This is a very special attraction and it was an honour to share it with these delegates and make this connection. They really did seem to enjoy their visit.”

Reflecting on the visit, Jóhan Christiansen, Fisheries Minister, said: “The Ross Tiger was an interesting experience. A lot of what we saw on board reminds me of things we’ve seen on our fishing vessels back in the Faroe Islands.

“It shows how much of a connection there is between us and Grimsby and the trip itself has been so informative. It’s so important we uphold this connection between the two of us for the future.”