Quotas for IOK (Individually Transferable Quotas) and for Olympic fishing in management area 47 have just been published, and fishermen fear that Olympic fishing will hit them hard.

In connection with the Fisheries Act coming into force from the New Year, dinghy fishermen in management area 47, in Disko Bay, Uummannaq and Upernavik, can now choose whether they want to fish with Olympic fishing for halibut or with so-called IOK (Individually Transferable Quotas). 

In connection with

And after a long wait, figures from the Department of Fisheries, Hunting, Agriculture and Self-Sustainability were published last week on the distribution of quotas in the two fisheries.

In connection with the Fisheries Act coming into force from the New Year, dinghy fishermen in management area 47, in Disko Bay, Uummannaq and Upernavik, can now choose whether they want to fish with Olympic fishing for halibut or with so-called IOK (Individually Transferable Quotas). 

In connection withAnnouncement

And after a long wait, figures from the Department of Fisheries, Hunting, Agriculture and Self-Sustainability were published last week on the distribution of quotas in the two fisheries.

Here it turned out that the quotas for IOC fishermen were far in comparison to the quotas for Olympic fishing, which arouses indignation among the fishermen. Therefore, the fishermen fear that the quota for Olympic fishing for halibut will be fished out during the summer or autumn.

Most quotas for IOC fishermen

In connection with the fact that 450 dinghy fishermen have switched to IOK in management area 47, the Government of Greenland has set a new allocation key for IOK fishermen and for Olympic fishing. This year, a total quota of 29,550 tonnes has been allocated, of which 23,647 tonnes to IOK fishermen and 5,903 tonnes to Olympic fishing.

In Upernavik, 6,387 tons have been allocated for IOC fishermen and 2,913 tons for Olympic fishing. In Uummannaq, 7,720 tons have been allocated for IOC fishermen and 1,930 tons for Olympic fishing. In Disko Bay, 9,540 tons have been allocated for IOC fishermen and 1,060 tons for Olympic fishing.

Quotas must change

The distribution key is dynamic and will change each year based on the number of dinghy fishermen who voluntarily transfer to IOK in each sub-area. This distribution is expected to create the best possible balance between IOK and Olympic fishing in management area 47, including ensuring the best conditions for IOK fishermen and for the dinghy fishermen to optimize their earnings, informs Naalakkersuisut.

Those who have a license to fish in Management Area 47 can now fish in all three fishing areas, regardless of whether they fish as IOC fishermen or in Olympic fishing.

Each year, the Ministry of Fisheries, Hunting, Agriculture and Self-Sustainability will publish the new distribution after the transfer of fishermen to IOK from the Olympic segment and whether, cf. Section 11 of the Government’s Executive Order on Fisheries Subject to a System of Individual and Transferable Quotas (IOK Executive Order), the transfer to IOK should be closed, so that a minimum of five percent of the TAC is secured for the Olympic segment.

The distribution key will be shown in the overview of quota intake in coastal fisheries on the GFJK website.

Can have catastrophic consequences

Erik Lange, a dinghy fisherman from Ilulissat and former director of SQAPK, the Greenlandic fishing and trapping organization for coastal fishermen, wants to continue with his Olympic fishing, and he is surprised by the distribution of the quotas.

– It is astonishing and surprising that the quota for Olympic fishing is so small.

Since fishing in Disko Bay is usually good, we can expect the Olympic fishing quota of 1,060 tons to be caught during the month of July.

This distribution of quotas is not well thought out, and as the year goes on, it will lead to increasingly difficult living conditions for fishermen and their families.

– The Greenland Government usually says that it is not intended to reduce the number of fishermen, but we can see that the current distribution of quotas is intended to reduce the number of fishermen in the future, he says.

Lange believes that if disasters are to be avoided, quotas for Olympic fishing must be increased.

Can expect quotas to be fished out

Ole Møller, treasurer of the fishing and hunting association in Uummannaq, has started fishing with IOK.

– The Uummannaq area is now ice-free, and there will soon be capelin that we can use for bait, and I expect the fishing to continue to go well.

– It is therefore exciting to see how the fishing in Olympic fishing will develop in the coming months.

If fishing goes well, he says, it is likely that IOK fishermen will be able to catch their quotas, he says.

He added that many dinghy fishermen who switched to IOK fishing have started selling their quotas recently.

More people want to fish in the North

Aqqaluk Semionsen, a dinghy fisherman in Naajaat, is one of those who have switched to the IOC fishery this year. He says that the fishermen in Disko Bay can be expected to sail to Uummannaq and Upernavik once their quota of 1,060 tonnes for Olympic fishing has been fished.

– The quota in Disko Bay is so small that if it is fished out, the fishermen will likely move north, and if there are more fishermen in a particular area, the quota will be fished out quickly.

– So in management area 47 the quota will probably be exhausted during the autumn, he says.

It is a political goal to gradually reduce the quotas for Olympic fishing over a number of years, and even though he finds it not so attractive to fish with the IOC, he had to choose the IOC fishery, says Aqqaluk Semionsen.

IOK fishermen include dinghies and vessels fishing on Individual Transferable Quotas.

In connection with the Fisheries Act coming into force from the New Year, dinghy fishermen in management area 47, in Disko Bay, Uummannaq and Upernavik, can now choose whether they want to fish with Olympic fishing for halibut or with so-called IOK (Individually Transferable Quotas). 

In connection with

And after a long wait, figures from the Department of Fisheries, Hunting, Agriculture and Self-Sustainability were published last week on the distribution of quotas in the two fisheries.

In connection with the Fisheries Act coming into force from the New Year, dinghy fishermen in management area 47, in Disko Bay, Uummannaq and Upernavik, can now choose whether they want to fish with Olympic fishing for halibut or with so-called IOK (Individually Transferable Quotas). 

In connection withAnnouncement

And after a long wait, figures from the Department of Fisheries, Hunting, Agriculture and Self-Sustainability were published last week on the distribution of quotas in the two fisheries.

Here it turned out that the quotas for IOC fishermen were far in comparison to the quotas for Olympic fishing, which arouses indignation among the fishermen. Therefore, the fishermen fear that the quota for Olympic fishing for halibut will be fished out during the summer or autumn.

Most quotas for IOC fishermen

In connection with the fact that 450 dinghy fishermen have switched to IOK in management area 47, the Government of Greenland has set a new allocation key for IOK fishermen and for Olympic fishing. This year, a total quota of 29,550 tonnes has been allocated, of which 23,647 tonnes to IOK fishermen and 5,903 tonnes to Olympic fishing.

In Upernavik, 6,387 tons have been allocated for IOC fishermen and 2,913 tons for Olympic fishing. In Uummannaq, 7,720 tons have been allocated for IOC fishermen and 1,930 tons for Olympic fishing. In Disko Bay, 9,540 tons have been allocated for IOC fishermen and 1,060 tons for Olympic fishing.

Quotas must change

The distribution key is dynamic and will change each year based on the number of dinghy fishermen who voluntarily transfer to IOK in each sub-area. This distribution is expected to create the best possible balance between IOK and Olympic fishing in management area 47, including ensuring the best conditions for IOK fishermen and for the dinghy fishermen to optimize their earnings, informs Naalakkersuisut.

Those who have a license to fish in Management Area 47 can now fish in all three fishing areas, regardless of whether they fish as IOC fishermen or in Olympic fishing.

Each year, the Ministry of Fisheries, Hunting, Agriculture and Self-Sustainability will publish the new distribution after the transfer of fishermen to IOK from the Olympic segment and whether, cf. Section 11 of the Government’s Executive Order on Fisheries Subject to a System of Individual and Transferable Quotas (IOK Executive Order), the transfer to IOK should be closed, so that a minimum of five percent of the TAC is secured for the Olympic segment.

The distribution key will be shown in the overview of quota intake in coastal fisheries on the GFJK website.

Can have catastrophic consequences

Erik Lange, a dinghy fisherman from Ilulissat and former director of SQAPK, the Greenlandic fishing and trapping organization for coastal fishermen, wants to continue with his Olympic fishing, and he is surprised by the distribution of the quotas.

– It is astonishing and surprising that the quota for Olympic fishing is so small.

Since fishing in Disko Bay is usually good, we can expect the Olympic fishing quota of 1,060 tons to be caught during the month of July.

This distribution of quotas is not well thought out, and as the year goes on, it will lead to increasingly difficult living conditions for fishermen and their families.

– The Greenland Government usually says that it is not intended to reduce the number of fishermen, but we can see that the current distribution of quotas is intended to reduce the number of fishermen in the future, he says.

Lange believes that if disasters are to be avoided, quotas for Olympic fishing must be increased.

Can expect quotas to be fished out

Ole Møller, treasurer of the fishing and hunting association in Uummannaq, has started fishing with IOK.

– The Uummannaq area is now ice-free, and there will soon be capelin that we can use for bait, and I expect the fishing to continue to go well.

– It is therefore exciting to see how the fishing in Olympic fishing will develop in the coming months.

If fishing goes well, he says, it is likely that IOK fishermen will be able to catch their quotas, he says.

He added that many dinghy fishermen who switched to IOK fishing have started selling their quotas recently.

More people want to fish in the North

Aqqaluk Semionsen, a dinghy fisherman in Naajaat, is one of those who have switched to the IOC fishery this year. He says that the fishermen in Disko Bay can be expected to sail to Uummannaq and Upernavik once their quota of 1,060 tonnes for Olympic fishing has been fished.

– The quota in Disko Bay is so small that if it is fished out, the fishermen will likely move north, and if there are more fishermen in a particular area, the quota will be fished out quickly.

– So in management area 47 the quota will probably be exhausted during the autumn, he says.

It is a political goal to gradually reduce the quotas for Olympic fishing over a number of years, and even though he finds it not so attractive to fish with the IOC, he had to choose the IOC fishery, says Aqqaluk Semionsen.

IOK fishermen include dinghies and vessels fishing on Individual Transferable Quotas.