China for Swedish wood used for interiors

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Current information

12/12/2013

Major interest in China for Swedish wood used for interiors

Interest in Swedish wood for interiors is growing in China and Swedish exports of sawn wood products to China is increasing rapidly. This fact was confirmed during SINO – SWEDISH WOOD DAY, a Swedish initiative and event designed to further increase interest in Swedish wood products in China. About 400 people participated at the event, which was held on the 10th of December in Shanghai.
 
Sino-Swedish Wood Day, a conference with an exhibition section, was organised by Swedish Wood in collaboration with the China Furniture Association and the China Timber & Wood Product Distribution Association. The programme combined lectures about Swedish wood and an exhibition where Swedish sawmill groups presented their products. The purpose was to inform and inspire the Chinese interior design industry in the use of Swedish wood for furniture, flooring, panelling and joinery, and to establish new business opportunities for the future.

Target groups for Sino-Swedish Wood Day included the Chinese furniture and joinery industry and interior designers and architects. At the conference, representatives of the Swedish sawmill industry presented the sustainably managed Swedish forest industry, the quality advantages of Swedish wood, both from the product properties and logistics solutions points of view, and examples of interiors using pine and spruce. Further, Chinese furniture producers and designers were invited to talk about their experiences with Swedish wood and about development potential for design using Swedish wood in China.
Eleven of the largest Swedish wood suppliers were present in Shanghai. They presented their companies at their own individual stands alongside the conference and made many valuable contacts with potential customers. A collective display exhibited samples of Swedish wood products and examples of how wood can be refined to make different surfaces and in such a way adapt the wood to suit the interior design tastes of Chinese customers.
 
‘The potential for Swedish wood exports to China is very big. The Swedish wood industry is renowned for its high and constant product quality, efficient logistics solutions and sustainable forest management. The Chinese wood industry now places great importance in these factors, and this has been confirmed at Sino-Swedish Wood Day. Designers and interior design architects at the conference supported the positive aspects of wood from an environmental point of view. China now exhibits an increased interest in using natural and renewable materials in building and interior design as a part of meeting the country’s environmental challenges,’ said Mikael Eliasson, director Swedish Wood.
 
Sino-Swedish Wood Day is part of a long-term strategy on the Chinese market.
‘We have been active in China these past 8 years and during this time established strong contacts with Chinese trade organisations, universities and authorities. Organising such a large and well-attended event as Sino-Swedish Wood Day together with Chinese partners, is a way to show the long term perspective of the Swedish wood industry’s activities in China,’ said Jan Söderlind, international director, Swedish Wood.
 
To further promote the growth of Swedish wood exports, Swedish Wood will be continuing their efforts in China.
‘During 2014 we plan to arrange a design competition with Shanghai university, participate in important trade fairs and conferences where we shall market Swedish wood as a contemporary interior design material and arrange a workshop for representatives from Swedish and Chinese authorities and industry. All to promote the use of Swedish wood,’ said Jan Söderlind.
 
Swedish wood exports to China have almost tripled since 2012 and this year are expected to total more than 400 000 cubic metres of sawn timber. The prognosis for 2014 is in excess of 700 000 cubic metres of sawn timber.
More information
The Sino-Swedish Wood Day program
For more information please contact:

Mikael Eliasson, director Swedish Wood, Swedish Forest Industries Federation, phone: +46-70 564 82 01, mikael.eliasson@svenskttra.se
Jan Söderlind, international director Swedish Wood, Swedish Forest Industries Federation, phone: +46-70-211 04 22, jan.soderlind@svenskttra.se
Charlotte Apelgren, communications director Swedish Wood, Swedish Forest Industries Federation, phone: +46-70-661 78 81, charlotte.apelgren@svenskttra.se

07/06/2013

Forest and Paper Industry Leaders Discuss the Global Sector's Future

07/06/2013

The Forest Industry – The Driver for a Sustainable Bioeconomy

24/04/2013

Swedish Forest Industries Federation appoints Carina Håkansson as new Director General

sweden florest

1. Forest Facts Sweden has Europe’s second biggest afforested area after Russia. Sweden’s productive forests cover about 23 million hectares. However, if this area is calculated according to international forest land definitions, it is 27 million hectares. Approximately 66% of the whole land area is covered with forests. Figure 1: Forest land definitions according to Swedish National Inventory and FAO Spruce and pine are by large the predominant species in Swedish forests. These two species count for more than 80% of the timber stock. In northern Sweden pine is the most common species, whereas spruce, mixed with some birch, dominates in southern Sweden. Due to effective and far-sighted forest management the timber stock in Sweden has increased by more than 60% in the last one hundred years and it is now 3000 million m3. Growth has been most rapid in southern Sweden where forests in the early twentieth century were thin and in poor condition. In recent years felled quantities have been between 85 and 90 million m3, whereas annual growth amounts approximately to 120 million m3. If fellings are to be increased, improved forestry methods are required. Current studies indicate that wood production can be increased by as much as 20% by 2050 by means of improved forest management. Figure 2: Annual increment and gross fellings Swedish forests are a significant sink of carbon. Some 3 billion tonnes of carbon are bound in the standing timber and as much as 6 billion tonnes in the forest soil. The amount of protected forests in Sweden amounts to circa 1.9 million hectares. A great extent, about 90% of these forests are the kind of forests in which minor interventions are allowed. The share of strictly protected forests, where no human interventions are allowed is 0.3 % from the forest area. ____________________________________________________________________ 2. Forest ownership in Sweden From the forest area: Privately owned forests                     50 % State-owned forests and other public forms of ownership                25 % Industrial private                                  25 % Figure 3: Forest land by ownership classes 2007 Private forest owner families hold about 50% of Swedish forests, privately owned forestry companies about 25% and the State and other public owners have the remaining 25%. The ownership of forests in Sweden varies between regions. In Southern parts of the country forests are mainly owned by private persons whereas in Northern Sweden companies own more significant amounts of forests. There are 355.000 forest owners in Sweden and they supply about 60% of the timber used in industry. Figure 4: Area subject to felling, by ownership class _____________________________________________________________________ 3. Family forestry in Sweden Traditionally private forest ownership is called “private forestry”, but on international level this concept also includes corporate ownership. For that reason the forest owners’ associations in the Nordic countries use the word “family forestry” to denote private ownership on family level. In Sweden women constitute 38% of forest owners. Today more than one third of forest owners live in a municipality other than the one where their forest is located. 22 % of forest owners are farmers and already 24% pensioners. Swedish forest owners are multi-objective owners who have varying objectives in the management of their forests. They value forest’s social services as much as incomes generated from wood sales. The average size of a forest holding in Sweden is 45 hectares. ____________________________________________________________________ 4. Forest owners organisations LRF Skogsägarna is forest owners' national policy organisation. Four regional forest owner federations – Norra Skog, Norrskog, Mellanskog and Södra - take care of operational forestry and safeguard family forestry in a smaller scale. In total these four forest owner associations have around 104.000 members managing 6.2 million hectares of forests that is approximately 50% of the privately owned forests in Sweden. _____________________________________________________________________ 5. Forest certification 80% of the Swedish forest land is certified under either the FSC or under the PEFC certification scheme. FSC certified forests amount to 10.2 million hectares and PEFC certified to 7.5 million hectares. Of the total 7.5 million hectares certified under the PEFC scheme, 3 million hectares are family owned. _____________________________________________________________________ 6. Forest Protection and Biodiversity Forest protection Figure 5: Forest protection in Sweden The amount of protected forests in Sweden amounts to circa 1.9 million ha. A great extent, about 90% of these forests are the kind of forests in which minor interventions are allowed. The share of strictly protected forests, where no human interventions are allowed is 0.3% from the forest area. As much as 60% of protected forests are located in northern Sweden, 21% in central Sweden and around 19% in southern Sweden. Levande Skogar The forest protection program ’Levande Skogar’ has set following targets in order to ensure the protective functions of Swedish forest: 1) Additional 900.000 hectares of forest will be set aside from production by 2010 for protection purposes. 2) The amount of decayed wood, the area of old broadleaved rich forests and old forests is to be maintained and increased by 2010. 3) Forest land must be used in a way that safeguards ancient monuments and minimises damages on other valuable cultural remains. Biodiversity National parks, nature reserves and nature conservation areas cover an area of 4.2 million hectares, i.e. 10% of Sweden’s land area. There are at least 220.000 hectares of protected forests which still in terms of forest growth are productive. In addition, there are about 12.000 hectares of protected habitat types and 25.000 hectares of wood land set aside and protected by environment conservation agreements. Large forest areas are also protected through forest owners’ voluntary activities. _____________________________________________________________________ 7. Forest sector in Sweden’s national economy The forestry business is of decisive importance for the Swedish national economy. It is more important than in any other EU country, apart from Finland. The Swedish forest industry counts for about 12% from industry’s employment, turnover and value added. In 2007 forests-based products exports accounted for 12% of the total Swedish exports. The net export value of wood and wood industry products in 2007 was 110 billion euros. Forest industry’s and forestry’s added value in 2007 amounted to about 3% of the GDP. About 91.000 – circa 2% - of the total 4.5 million employees work in the forest sector including the forestry business. The number of indirectly employed persons is about the double. Many of them live in sparsely populated areas where lumbering, other forestry work and transportation of wood products constitute the dominant economic activities. In a global perspective Sweden is an industrial superpower in wood processing. The country is the fourth largest exporter of pulp, third largest exporter of paper and the second largest exporter of sawn timber. Sweden’s pulp and paper industry is the third largest in Europe and it supplies more than one tenth of the demand for paper in the EU countries. In 2004 wood industry produced 17 million cubic meters of sawn timber and 12.1 million tons of pulp. The production of paper and cardboard amounted to11.6 million tons, of which 2.6 million tons of newsprint, 3.0 million tons of printing and writing paper and 5.9 million tons of other paper and cardboard. Swedish forests do not only provide wood products and paper. Somewhat over 80% of the biofuels consumed in the country are forest-based. Forest-based fuels, i.e. bark, chips, other forestry residues and energy from pulp factories’ residual black lye constitute almost 18% of the country’s total energy supply, which was about 647 TWh in 2005. The demand for wood-based fuels is expected to increase and it will constitute an important source of income for forest owners in the future. _____________________________________________________________________ 8. Forest policy The Swedish Forest Agency is the national authority responsible for matters relating to the forest. It strives to ensure that the nation’s forests are managed in such a way as to yield an abundant and sustainable harvest while at the same time preserving biodiversity. The Agency also strives to increase awareness of the forest’s significance, including its value for outdoor recreation. The Agency has offices throughout the country. Its most important tasks are to give advice on forest-related matters, supervise compliance with the Forest Act, provide services to the forest industry, support nature conservation efforts and conduct inventories. More information from the website of the Swedish Forest Agency: http://www.svo.se Environment conservation is an equally important factor as timber production in Swedish forest legislation. The basis of Swedish forest policy is co-operation between the State and forest owners for the purpose of achieving sustainable forestry in the long term. This means forestry where economic, environmental, cultural and social interests are taken into account in a balanced manner. _____________________________________________________________________

Facts Denmark Norway Finland Sweden Search Newsletter Picture Gallery Picture Gallery Documents EU Forest Related Documents

List of national parks of Swedenn

Abisko

Björnlandet

Blå Jungfrun

Dalby Söderskog

Djurö

Fulufjället

Färnebofjärden

Garphyttan

Gotska Sandön

Hamra

Haparanda Archipelago

Koster-
havet

Muddus

Norra Kvill

Padjelanta

Pieljekaise

Sarek

Skuleskogen

Stenshuvud

Stora Sjöfallet

Store Mosse

Sånfjället

Söderåsen

Tiveden

Tresticklan

Tyresta

Töfsingdalen

Vadvetjåkka

Ängsö

National parks of Sweden (clickable map)

National parks of Sweden are managed by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Swedish: Naturvårdsverket) and owned by the state. The goal of the national park service is to create a system of protected areas that represent all the distinct natural regions of the country.^[1] In 1909, Sweden became the first country in Europe to establish such parks when nine were opened following the Riksdag passing of a law on national parks that year. This was followed by the establishment of seven parks between 1918 and 1962 and thirteen between 1982 and 2009, with the latest being Kosterhavet National Park.^[1] There are currently 29 national parks in Sweden, comprising a total area of 731,589 hectares (1,807,796 acres);^[2] six more are scheduled to open by 2013.^[3]
According to the EPA, Swedish national parks must represent unique landscape types and be effectively protected and used for research, recreation, and tourism without damaging nature.^[4] Mountain terrain dominates approximatively 90% of the parks' combined area. The reason for this is the extensive mountain areas taken up by the large northern parks—Sarek National Park and Padjelanta National Park each cover approximately 200,000 hectares (490,000 acres).^[5][6] Many of the northern parks are part of the Laponian area, one of Sweden's UNESCO World Heritage Sites due to its preserved natural landscape and habitat for the native reindeer-herding Sami people.^[7] The southernmost parks—Söderåsen National Park, Dalby Söderskog National Park and Stenshuvud National Park—are covered with broadleaf forest and together cover approximately 2,000 ha (4,942 acres).^[8][9][10] Fulufjället National Park is part of PAN Parks,^[11] a network founded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to provide better long-term conservation and tourism management of European national parks.^[12]

Contents

• 1 National parks
• 2 Future national parks
• 3 See also
• 4 References

National parks

A river delta near Sarek National Park

Pierikpakte Mountain, part of Sarek National Park

Skäralid River, part of Söderåsen National Park

Abisko National Park was established in 1909.

Stream just over the tree line in Stora Sjöfallet National Park.

The forest in Dalby Söderskog National Park

The hill Stenshuvud in Stenshuvud National Park

Gotska Sandön National Park is one of Sweden's oldest national parks.

  This along with * indicates that the national park is part of a World Heritage Site

  This along with ** indicates that the national park is a Protected Area Network Park

Name	Location[13]	Area[13]	Established[13]	Description
Abisko National Park	Norrbotten County	7,700 ha (19,027 acres)	1909	The park is composed of valleys framed by mountain ranges in the south and west and Scandinavia's largest alpine lake, Torneträsk, in the north.[14]
Ängsö National Park	Stockholm County	168 ha (415 acres)	1909	Ängsö is an island in the Stockholm archipelago. The park is known for its "ancient farm landscape in the archipelago environment, the spring flowers, and the varied bird life".[15]
Björnlandet National Park	Västerbotten County	1,100 ha (2,718 acres)	1991	Björnlandet's geography is distinguished by its large virgin forest and mountain terrain with steep ravines and cliffs. The park features traces of several forest fires.[16]
Blå Jungfrun National Park	Kalmar County	198 ha (489 acres)	1926	Blå Jungfrun is an island in the Baltic Sea dominated by clefts and hollows in the north and forest in the south.[17]
Dalby Söderskog National Park	Skåne County	36 ha (89 acres)	1918	Deciduous forest surrounded by a 56 m (184 ft) wide earth bank that takes up a large part of the park.[9]
Djurö National Park	Västra Götaland County	2,400 ha (5,931 acres)	1991	Djurö National Park consists of an archipelago with about 30 islands in Sweden's biggest lake, Vänern.[18]
Färnebofjärden National Park	Dalarna, Gävleborg, Uppsala, and Västmanland counties	10,100 ha (24,958 acres)	1998	Dalälven River passes through the park and the uneven shoreline encloses over 200 islands and islets.[19]
Fulufjället National Park**	Dalarna County	38,500 ha (95,136 acres)	2002	The park consists mainly of bare mountain heights, and heaths that are unique in the Swedish mountains.[11]
Garphyttan National Park	Örebro County	111 ha (274 acres)	1909	Garphyttan National Park consists of landscape altered by humans through agriculture and forestry, such as meadows and deciduous forest.[20]
Gotska Sandön National Park	Gotland County	4,490 ha (11,095 acres)	1909	Gotska Sandön is an island composed of sand. Its scenery is dominated by beaches, dunes, and pine forests.[21]
Hamra National Park	Gävleborg County	28 ha (69 acres)	1909	Hamra National Park contains two low moraine hills covered with virgin forest and large rock boulders.[22]
Haparanda Archipelago National Park	Norrbotten County	6,000 ha (14,826 acres)	1995	Located in the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia, the park is composed of low islands with wide sandy beaches.[23]
Kosterhavet National Park	Västra Götaland County	38,878 ha (96,070 acres)	2009	Kosterhavet National Park is the first national marine park of Sweden and was inaugurated in September 2009. It consists of the sea and shores around the Koster Islands, however excluding the islands themselves.[24][25][26][27]
Muddus National Park*	Norrbotten County	49,340 ha (121,922 acres)	1942	Muddus National Park is home of deep ravines and primeval forests. Sweden's oldest pine tree is located in the park.[28]
Norra Kvill National Park	Kalmar County	114 ha (282 acres)	1927	Norra Kvill is an ancient forest with tall pine trees that are over 350 years old. Three lakes are situated in the park: Stora Idegölen, Lilla Idegölen and Dalskärret.[29]
Padjelanta National Park*	Norrbotten County	198,400 ha (490,257 acres)	1962	The park, which borders Norway in the west, is primarily composed of a flat and open landscape that surrounds the two lakes Vastenjávrre and Virihávrre.[6]
Pieljekaise National Park	Norrbotten County	15,340 ha (37,906 acres)	1909	Pieljekaise National Park is composed of birch forest, mountain terrain, and several lakes. The park is named after Pieljekaise Mountain, a landmark in the area.[30]
Sånfjället National Park	Jämtland County	10,300 ha (25,452 acres)	1909	The park is named after the 1,278 m (4,193 ft) high mountain Sånfjället. The mountainous area is intersected by streaming lakes and a forest area.[31]
Sarek National Park*	Norrbotten County	197,000 ha (486,798 acres)	1909	The park features an alpine landscape with high peaks and narrow valleys. More than 100 glaciers are found in the park, and several mountains are over 2,000 m (6,600 ft) high.[5]
Skuleskogen National Park*	Västernorrland County	2,360 ha (5,832 acres)	1984	Skuleskogen National Park is composed of ancient forest, high mountains, and sea coast. The mountain peaks are covered with pine forest and are separated by valleys formed by the sea and ice sheets.[32]
Söderåsen National Park	Skåne County	1,625 ha (4,015 acres)	2001	The park features an especially contoured landscape with up to 90 m (300 ft) deep ravines. The valleys are covered with broadleaf forest, mostly beech.[8]
Stenshuvud National Park	Skåne County	390 ha (964 acres)	1986	Stenshuvud is a hill that faces the Baltic Sea. Because the surrounding landscape is relatively flat, it can be seen from a great distance and has been used by seafarers as an aid to navigation at sea. Most of the area is covered with broadleaf forest.[10]
Stora Sjöfallet National Park*	Norrbotten County	127,800 ha (315,801 acres)	1909	The park's northern portions lie in the Scandinavian Mountains, home to some of Sweden's highest peaks. The lower hills in the park's southern part are covered with forest.[33]
Store Mosse National Park	Jönköping County	7,850 ha (19,398 acres)	1989	Store Mosse National Park is the home of the largest bog area in southern Sweden. The lake Kävsjön, containing many species of birds, is located within the park.[34]
Tiveden National Park	Örebro County and Västra Götaland counties	1,350 ha (3,336 acres)	1983	Tiveden National Park is a part of the large Tiveden forest. The park is situated in the most inaccessible part of the forest. The landscape is mountainous and stony.[35]
Töfsingdalen National Park	Dalarna County	1,615 ha (3,991 acres)	1930	Töfsingdalen National Park consists of two mountain ridges separated by a valley covered with fields and virgin forest.[36]
Tresticklan National Park	Västra Götaland County	2,897 ha (7,159 acres)	1996	This park contains a rift valley landscape and is one of the few remaining areas of pristine forest in southern Scandinavia.[37]
Tyresta National Park	Stockholm County	2,000 ha (4,942 acres)	1993	Tyresta is a gorge landscape with stony slopes. The park, covered with pine forest, is one of the largest virgin forests in Sweden.[38]
Vadvetjåkka National Park	Norrbotten County	2,630 ha (6,499 acres)	1920	Located in a mountain region north-west of Lake Torneträsk, Vadvetjåkka National Park is the northernmost national park in Sweden. The park is named after Vadvetjåkka Mountain, which is located within the park.[39]

Future national parks

Sweden's highest mountain Kebnekaise will be part of a national park sometime between 2009 and 2013.

The Sylan mountain range will be part of the Vålådalen-Sylarna National Park.

In 2008, after investigations and interviews with the participating counties, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency laid down a plan to establish 13 new national parks in the near future. According to the plan, seven of the parks will be established between 2009 and 2013, the first being Kosterhavet National Park which was inaugurated in September 2009. It is currently unknown when the six remaining parks will be established.^[3]

Name	Location[40]	Area[40]	Date of establishment[40]
Bästeträsk National Park	Gotland County	5,000 ha (12,355 acres)	2009–2013
Blaikfjället National Park	Västerbotten County	40,000 ha (98,842 acres)	2009–2013
Kebnekaise National Park	Norrbotten County	65,000 ha (160,618 acres)	2009–2013
Tavvavuoma National Park	Norrbotten County	40,000 ha (98,842 acres)	2009–2013
Vålådalen-Sylarna National Park	Jämtland County	230,000 ha (568,342 acres)	2009–2013
Västra Åsnen National Park	Kronoberg County	2,000 ha (4,942 acres)	2009–2013
Nämdöskärgården National Park	Stockholm County	14,000 ha (34,595 acres)	TBA
Koppången National Park	Dalarna County	5,000 ha (12,355 acres)	TBA
Reivo National Park	Norrbotten County	11,000 ha (27,182 acres)	TBA
Rogen-Juttulslätten National Park	Dalarna County and Jämtland County	100,000 ha (247,105 acres)	TBA
Sankt Anna National Park	Östergötland County	10,000 ha (24,711 acres)	TBA
Vindelfjällen National Park Lorem Ipsum Skule National Park A visit to Skule/Skuleskogen National Park and its majestic, wild and amazingly beautiful nature is a must during your stay in the High Coast of Sweden. Skule National Park combines high mountains, ancient forest and sea coast in a landscape which is without equal in Sweden. _________________________________________________________________________ Skule National Park (Skuleskogens Nationalpark) is for you who like hiking in a landscape that is unique in the world. . Located in the heart of the High Coast of Sweden, Skule National Park is perfect for a day out or for days of hiking. Skule National Park – A place for everybody Once upon a time this area scared its visitors with the tales of goblins, trolls and robbers. They have all now disappeared and today Skule National Park (Skuleskogens Nationalpark) is filled with hiking routes of various difficulties, suitable for both the experienced and the beginner and for kids and seniors. Combine Skule National Park with Skule Mountain Combine a hike in the Skule National Park with a “fika” or dinner at the top Cabin at Skule Mountain and you can be sure to get memories for a lifetime. A Guide to the Best of Skule National Park: - The Land Uplift - Slåttdalsskrevan. - Slåttdalsberget. - The Forest - The Animals Facts about Skule Nationalpark Established: 1984, extended 2009.  Location: App. 40 kilometres south of Örnsköldsvik. Close to the town of Docksta. Why: The spectacular views and Skule National Park’s dramatic landscape. When:  Skule National Park is a year-round destination. Who: Those who are looking for a short trip of a couple of hours as well as for visitors who wish to spend several days in the national park. Over 30 kilometres of well-marked paths of varying degrees of difficulty lead you to everything worth seeing in Skule National Park.	Västerbotten County	550,000 ha (1,359,080 acres)	Safe harbour ... new restrictions on fishing, fuel type and anchoring protect the marine life around Sweden's Koster Islands. Photograph: Chris Madigan It was rush hour at Västra Bryggan, a tiny harbour of ramshackle brown boathouses in the sound separating the two main Koster Islands, off the west coast of Sweden. You could tell it was rush hour because there were people waiting at both quaysides for the little covered chain ferry, akin to a floating bus shelter. A group of retired ladies was doing Tai Chi on the shore and two cormorants had been disturbed by a fishing boat returning to its mooring. King Carl-Gustav opens the first marine national park. Photograph: Chris Madigan The previous morning the scene had been different. A ferry had brought hundreds of people over from the mainland to a ceremony marking the inauguration of Sweden's first marine national park, Kosterhavet ("Koster sea"), centred on this archipelago north of Gothenburg and close to the border with Norway. With cars banned on the islands (only little tricycle mopeds called "flakmoppe" help with goods deliveries), the crowds had continued on foot to see King Carl-Gustav ring the bell marking the official opening. It was all very feudal. The Koster Islands themselves have long been nature reserves, but now the unique sea life around the archipelago has been officially recognised and protected with restrictions on fishing, fuel type and anchoring, as well as a speed limit of five knots to discourage commercial shipping. At stake is the welfare of 6,000 different marine species, including 200 found nowhere else on the Swedish coast - notably reefs of "lophelia pertusa" cold-water coral. Koster Sound. Photograph: Chris Madigan There are as many species again on land, as we discovered on a guided hike across the two main islands with botanist Lars Arvidsson. (The 12 sq km of these islands, makes up just 2.5% of the area of the immense new national park). In places, the land is bare and rocky, elsewhere it's highly fertile - a little like Ireland's Burren. The Gothenburg University botanist explained that parts of the land used to be sea inlets, but rose to dry out, depositing ground sea shells in the soil and leaving it very alkaline, which suits most plants. We even saw 10,000-year-old oyster shells sticking out of a bank of earth in an oak forest. Walking is just one of the ways you can explore the national park, whose custodians are very aware of its three levels: land (you can hire bicycles); on the water (sea kayaking is very popular); and beneath the waves (either scuba diving or snorkelling). Fisherman with his 'flakmoppe' motor tricycle. Photograph: Chris Madigan Of the two islands, the north is a little more rugged and untamed by farmers - there are clumps of heather and juniper bushes and a rockier shoreline. Surrounding the main islands lies an archipelago of countless uninhabited skerries. Most are barren, but attractively so. The pinkish-grey granite and gneiss rock (occasionally streaked with volcanic black diabase) forming the islands was left smooth by the ice age, and they barely rise out of the sea, resembling whales breaking the waves or basking seals. Taking to the sea the next day, we saw a colony of harbour seals, out towards the remote lighthouse island of Ursholmen. However, all eyes on the research vessel from the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences were on the remote operated vehicle (ROV) being lowered into the sea. We had anchored up on the edge of the section of the deep Norwegian trench, which brings Atlantic ocean water into the Kosterhavet, increasing salinity and creating the ideal environment for biodiversity. The ROV delivered live proof of this to a screen in the boat's cabin – every inch of the seabed was covered with brightly coloured life: anemones, cushion starfish, flame shells, crabs and crayfish. It soon became clear why commercial trawling for prawns and crayfish is so damaging: it rips up this habitat to maximise the catch. Thankfully, inside the national park, only sustainable fishing, using small vessels, is allowed. One such fisherman, Niklas Nilsson, the youngest in the islands at 23, offers visitors a chance to find out first hand what harvesting crayfish with pots entails – by taking you out and putting you to work gathering in the catch. It's laborious work and yields a far smaller catch than trawling, but has minimal impact – crucially not destroying the tunnels in which the crayfish live. Fishing the sustainable way. Photograph: Chris Madigan Dressed in bright orange, with thick gloves to protect me against the claws of our catch, I hooked in the buoy that marked the link of 40 pots, reeled in the line and emptied the pots of their contents. There was something compelling and immersive about the activity. You are pulling up the pots that you hope will contain food for your own dinner - so each one that contains two or three crayfish or a large crab feels like a triumph, as you prize the crustaceans out of the pot; and each one that doesn't is a disappointment, as you throw sea cucumbers, little fish or tiny crabs back into the sea. Back at the harbour, we had an unusual treat in store. Niklas plunged the catch straight into boiling sea water right there on the pontoon, as he would before selling them to one of the excellent seafood restaurants on the islands for around £1 each. But rather than waiting for the traditional serving method for crayfish - cold with mayonnaise, lemon juice and bread - we got to eat them fresh and hot. The pot method of catching them not only protects their habitat, it improves the flavour too. Fresh seafood for lunch. Photograph: Chris Madigan This is perhaps the very paragon of slow food, a movement that has captured the imagination of people in the Kosters. There is a smokehouse on South Koster and another by the docks in the gateway town of Strömstad, where Åse Jensen and her husband are bringing back local specialities such as salt-smoked mackerel. On South Koster, Stefan von Bothmer has set up an organic garden and cafe, where flavour-packed dishes such as pumpkin soup and pea hummus offer an alternative to yet another tempting feast of seafood. The peaceful gardens and greenhouses are tended by volunteers who have signed up for free board and lodging (and use of Stefan's sea kayaks) as "willing workers on organic farms" (wwoof.org). Before tucking into dinner, however, Stefan takes us on a cycle tour of South Koster. Bicycle is the ideal means of transport here, although, it takes a while to get used to the backward pedal brake system on the local bikes - my ankles took a battering. The tour itself had a very different tone to the botany professor's, as Stefan combined a deep understanding of the anthropological history of the islands with some new age concepts. We cycled down to the unexpected, long Kilesand beach, framed by pine trees. Stefan brought out magnifying loupes and placed them in the sand. Apparently, under every footprint there are 20,000 microscopic worms or larvae and 20 million algae. We couldn't see those individuals, but the little creatures, tiny shells and fragments of minerals the magnifying glasses reveal, looked like an array of jewels to make Bulgari blush. Sundown on the Koster Islands. Photograph: Chris Madigan We then climbed Koster's mountain. The 45m fjell afforded a surprisingly comprehensive view - from the mainland coastline to the Ursholmen lighthouses. The sun was setting, throwing the scores of skerries into dramatic relief. Stefan led us down the hill, then we plunged through a tunnel in the bushes to emerge on another bulbous granite outcrop by the sea. Stefan's boathouse, his escape from what little stress there is on these islands, is one of the most peaceful places I've ever drunk a sundowner.	TBA