Fisheries Conflict in Greenland

Published at: May 27 2020 - 12:50 / Updated at: May 27 2020 - 12:50

There is strong disagreemetn between the Fisheries Committee and the Fisheries Minister in Greenland following the latter’s decision to transfer a rest quota of 204 tons of catfish from 2019 to the 2020 quota, according to Sermitsiaq.

Prior to this transfer, this year’s catfish quota was set at 1,159 tons, which was in keeping with the biological recommendations.

Chair of the Fisheries Committee Henrik Fleischer (S) criticizes the decision as well as Immanuelsen and argues that the MSC certification may be at risk. The MSC Certificate is an award granted to sustainable fisheries.

Naalakkersuisoq Jens Immanuelsen defends the decision, arguing that the decision about transferring the rest quota so that the 2020 catfish quota now is at 1,363 tons rests not with his office alone, but rather is a decision of the entire Naalakkersuisut, the self-rule government.