For many centuries, fishing around the Lofoten Islands has been of great importance to the whole of Norway. Thousands of fishermen from all over the country came and come to the islands in winter to fish for cod. That is the skrei, which swims from the Barents Sea to the Lofoten Islands to reproduce. Oil made Norway rich, but this fishery is considered the foundation of the Norwegian welfare state. Much cod is still dried into stockfish.