Eiderdown Collectors

ANER-ETXEBARRIA-EIDER
Hammered by the cold Icelandic winds, Spring arrives once again in the islet of Flatey. It’s one of the last marine bird paradises and home to the duck with the lightest and most highly regarded down in the world: the Eider Duck. Cut off from the hubbub of civilisation, Hafsteinn and his family are the only inhabitants of Flatey and the eiders’ best friends. In return for protecting them against predators and ensuring the safety of thousands of their chicks, the Haffstein family gather up to 34 kilos of down each year, which the birds use to incubate their eggs. A jewel used to make eiderdowns that fetch up to 15,000 dollars on the international market.

Hafsteinn:

”The Eider is the most valuable bird for us. The one that give us benefits. We respect and protect them.”