What is ”Ecosystem-based management”? – And why is this important for Greenland? Parnuna Egede Dahl from Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat went to Tromsø to debate this. Here she had been invited to give a presentation and participate in a panel debate at the Arctic Council Third EA conference on April 15-18.
And why then think in ecosystems? All species are part of an ecosystem – like a piece in a puzzle. Each species affects other species and is itself affected by them. In Greenland, we manage the species individually – this is equivalent to taking a single piece out of the puzzle and not taking the big picture into account. Instead, we must think in terms of ecosystems and their balance, health, and resilience to change – so that the puzzle can fit together and be seen as a whole.
In Greenland, Inatsisartut (the Parliament of Greenland) is in the process of negotiating a major reform of the Fisheries Act, which will go through a third reading and be decided upon on May 16. At the same time, executive orders with management plans for individual species are continuously updated. Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat believes that it is appropriate for a modern Greenlandic management to think in terms of ecosystems. Therefore, we will work to push the habitual thinking around individual species and inspire towards an ecosystem-based management.
The conference also provided an opportunity to meet two of our sparring partners from Oceans North Canada.
