Historic eider duck site closes in Norway
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Utværet Lånan AS, a company in Norway’s Helgeland region, is ceasing operations due to a decline in the eider duck population.
For generations, people on the islands of Helgeland have maintained a close relationship with the eider duck, known locally as “ea,” building nests and protecting the birds in exchange for their valuable down.
However, the number of eider ducks returning to Lånan has fallen sharply, with only half as many birds present in 2023 as in 2018, making the business unsustainable. Eider down is considered one of the world’s warmest and most exclusive types of down, requiring the feathers from around 60 nests to create a single duvet which can sell for over 100,000 kroner.
The company’s hand-crafted duvets have been purchased by figures such as Queen Sonja of Norway, and were once gifted to the royal couple by municipalities in Helgeland. The process of cleaning the down is labor-intensive, taking almost half a year for one duvet. The closure reflects a wider trend across the Helgeland coast, with research showing the eider duck population in the area has more than halved in the last decade.
Scientists attribute this decline to a combination of factors, including climate change, reduced food availability, increased boat traffic, and more predators. While the company will no longer produce duvets for sale, the dedicated “fuglevaktarar” (bird wardens) will continue to protect the remaining eider ducks and preserve the cultural heritage.
