The fishing fair in Ilulissat was a strong indicator that the fishing industry wants to participate in sustainable fishing

In connection with the fishing fair, PolarExpo2022, in Ilulissat on October 11-13, 2022, there were 45 exhibitors from Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Denmark and Sweden.  ONKN used its participation in the fair to conduct two workshops on ghost nets and Greenland shark & fishing.  At each of the two workshops, there were about 40-45 fishermen either from Ilulissat or from outside the town, just as representatives from the two major producers in Greenland were present.

About 2000 visitors attended over three days, an average of 670 per day. In the third quarter of 2022, Ilulissat had a population of 4,700.

Lost fishing gear

In fishing circles, great concern has been expressed about large amounts of ghost nets at the bottom of the sea, and those who was presenting at ONKN’s workshop were in no doubt that there is an urgent need for coordinated harvesting of lost fishing gear. The lost and abandoned fishing gear continuously fishes the fish that the fishermen themselves can fish.

The large amounts of lost fishing gear at the bottom of the sea do not promote a sustainable population of fish in the seas around us in Greenland.

ONKN notes that all fishing organizations call for action and that all pointed out that the fisherman has the main responsibility for handling fishing nets, and thus also informing the authorities about lost fishing nets. In addition, it is the wish of the fishermen present that indications of positions for lost fishing gear should be gathered in one place, and not, as at present, in several instances.

ONKN will encourage producers Polar Seafood and Royal Greenland to also show initiative to help pay attention to what it generally means when handing out fishing nets virtually free of charge.

ONKN is pleased that the member of the Government, Minister for Agriculture, Self-sufficiency, Energy & Environment, promised to do something about the pollution in the seabed of lost fishing gear. ONKN looks forward to hearing more about the implementation of the action plan for lost and abandoned fishing, hunting, and hunting equipment, which ONKN will of course continuously monitor the status of.

Greenland Shark

The fishermen in attendance shared their experiences from areas where there are not many Greenland sharks to areas where there are major problems for fishermen with these sharks destroying fishing gear, often on a large scale.

Fishermen see the Greenland shark as a problem where there is a large occurrence of these. There is a desire for a reduction in the stock, with some fishermen talking about their efforts to remove as many sharks as possible during the off-season, so that the shark is not such a big problem when fishing.

For example, there was also a desire from many fishermen for the development of lines that can withstand the shark’s teeth, so that less fishing tackle is lost. Overall, there was a great willingness to share experiences and personal strategies used to reduce bycatch of Greenland sharks, and there was also interest in new tools for how bycatch of the Greenland shark can be minimized.

As was the case with workshops on lost fishing gear, there was also a great desire to contribute knowledge between fishermen, and for a further talk with ONKN / ONC from the fishermen.

For example, a young fisherman from Uummannaq show interest to be part of a project where an electronic chip mark can be inserted into these sharks, making it possible to follow their routes and learn more about these animals.

Trust-based communication

All opinions were welcome and relevant, but the focus was on constructive dialogue and action, and the starting point was that the fishermen themselves have the answers. Thank you for the great interest in dialogue, both during both workshops, but also throughout the fair, where many fishermen came by ONKN’s stand to promote the dialogue about ghost nets and Greenland sharks and give the fisherman’s own perspectives and ideas to know.

ONKN’s focus areas were highlighted, and for ONKN it was clear that the fishermen themselves have a great desire for sustainable fishing and have a great interest in healthy seas.

We look forward to developing this kind of dialogue-based communication with the stakeholders in the fishing industry.