An ordinance on technical improvements in fishing prevents Isortoq Trawl from getting a new trawler – and the owners say that a political effort must be made to change the ordinance. 

After the new Fisheries Act came into force at the beginning of the year, a number of regulations were incorporated after consultation, which shows that the Fisheries Act has been rushed through instead of being finished, the chairman of the Greenland Fishermen’s and Hunters’ Organization, KNAPK, Nikkulaat Jeremiassen previously told Sermitsiaq.

After that

He also pointed out that it is a waste of time to incorporate a number of important regulations into the Fisheries Act, which could have serious consequences for many fishermen.

After the new Fisheries Act came into force at the beginning of the year, a number of regulations were incorporated after consultation, which shows that the Fisheries Act has been rushed through instead of being finished, the chairman of the Greenland Fishermen’s and Hunters’ Organization, KNAPK, Nikkulaat Jeremiassen previously told Sermitsiaq.

After thatAnnouncement

He also pointed out that it is a waste of time to incorporate a number of important regulations into the Fisheries Act, which could have serious consequences for many fishermen.

Among the new rules is an executive order from the Government of Iceland on technical improvements in fishing, which came into effect this year and which, according to the company’s owners, has prevented Isortaq Trawl ApS in Ilulissat from purchasing a new trawler for coastal fishing.

The order puts an end to 

According to the order, vessels with an overall length of more than 40 meters or a gross tonnage of more than 1,000 are not allowed to fish for shrimp within 3 nautical miles from the baseline in the Sisimiut area and in Disko Bay, and within the mentioned areas, shrimp fishing may not take place with production on board the vessel, but must take place with land-based processing facilities. Vessels that have a production permit in Disko Bay will be approved by being granted a continued fishing license in the area with the vessel in question until the order comes into force. However, if the operator changes vessels or does not have a time-limited license for the vessel, the license will be lost, according to the order on shrimp fishing, among other things.

Isortaq Trawl ApS in Ilulissat has three trawlers for coastal shrimp fishing, and since they are outdated and no longer in use, the owners want to replace them with a modern, larger trawler with a larger fish factory – but an executive order puts an end to that, says director Sofie Sandgreen.

Where are the political promises?

The owners of Isortaq Trawl ApS have been waiting for the Fisheries Act for many years, and when it came into force at the beginning of the new year, it was a very positive development, but during the spring a number of orders were issued, and this order, emphasizes Sofie Sandgreen, is a major obstacle to Isortaq Trawl being able to obtain a coastal shrimp trawler.

– According to the executive order, the coastal quotas for our three trawlers cannot be transferred to the new trawler that we are about to acquire, as it can only fish for shrimp in the open sea.

– This closed the door for us to get a new coastal shrimp trawler, he says.

During the election campaign for Inatsisartut in Ilulissat last year, Sofie Sandgreen asked all the parties who would work to change the ordinance. All the parties said at the time that they would work for a solution to the problem, but so far we have not heard anything about anything being done politically, says the director of Isortaq Trawl.

The wait will be expensive

According to Isortoq Trawl’s co-owner Hans Sandgreen, it is currently very expensive to replace a trawler, so it is only possible to get a new one if finances allow.

– We are most interested in getting a trawler with a factory, but the plan has now been severely delayed, making it more and more expensive over time.

– If the order is not changed, coastal shrimp fishing may become unprofitable, and we will not be able to implement our plan, he says.

The cruise company Isortaq Trawl ApS operates, among other things, Hotel Nuka, Café Nuka, Restaurant & Bar Iluliaq and Café Iluliaq.

Investigation underway 

It is not yet possible to say anything about what changes will be made to the Fisheries Act, as preparations are still underway to propose changes or additions to the Act, Naalakkersuisoq Minister for Fisheries, Hunting, Agriculture and Self-Sustainability Peter Borg, of the Democrats, told Sermitsiaq.

After the new Fisheries Act came into force at the beginning of the year, a number of regulations were incorporated after consultation, which shows that the Fisheries Act has been rushed through instead of being finished, the chairman of the Greenland Fishermen’s and Hunters’ Organization, KNAPK, Nikkulaat Jeremiassen previously told Sermitsiaq.

After that

He also pointed out that it is a waste of time to incorporate a number of important regulations into the Fisheries Act, which could have serious consequences for many fishermen.

After the new Fisheries Act came into force at the beginning of the year, a number of regulations were incorporated after consultation, which shows that the Fisheries Act has been rushed through instead of being finished, the chairman of the Greenland Fishermen’s and Hunters’ Organization, KNAPK, Nikkulaat Jeremiassen previously told Sermitsiaq.

After thatAnnouncement

He also pointed out that it is a waste of time to incorporate a number of important regulations into the Fisheries Act, which could have serious consequences for many fishermen.

Among the new rules is an executive order from the Government of Iceland on technical improvements in fishing, which came into effect this year and which, according to the company’s owners, has prevented Isortaq Trawl ApS in Ilulissat from purchasing a new trawler for coastal fishing.

The order puts an end to 

According to the order, vessels with an overall length of more than 40 meters or a gross tonnage of more than 1,000 are not allowed to fish for shrimp within 3 nautical miles from the baseline in the Sisimiut area and in Disko Bay, and within the mentioned areas, shrimp fishing may not take place with production on board the vessel, but must take place with land-based processing facilities. Vessels that have a production permit in Disko Bay will be approved by being granted a continued fishing license in the area with the vessel in question until the order comes into force. However, if the operator changes vessels or does not have a time-limited license for the vessel, the license will be lost, according to the order on shrimp fishing, among other things.

Isortaq Trawl ApS in Ilulissat has three trawlers for coastal shrimp fishing, and since they are outdated and no longer in use, the owners want to replace them with a modern, larger trawler with a larger fish factory – but an executive order puts an end to that, says director Sofie Sandgreen.

Where are the political promises?

The owners of Isortaq Trawl ApS have been waiting for the Fisheries Act for many years, and when it came into force at the beginning of the new year, it was a very positive development, but during the spring a number of orders were issued, and this order, emphasizes Sofie Sandgreen, is a major obstacle to Isortaq Trawl being able to obtain a coastal shrimp trawler.

– According to the executive order, the coastal quotas for our three trawlers cannot be transferred to the new trawler that we are about to acquire, as it can only fish for shrimp in the open sea.

– This closed the door for us to get a new coastal shrimp trawler, he says.

During the election campaign for Inatsisartut in Ilulissat last year, Sofie Sandgreen asked all the parties who would work to change the ordinance. All the parties said at the time that they would work for a solution to the problem, but so far we have not heard anything about anything being done politically, says the director of Isortaq Trawl.

The wait will be expensive

According to Isortoq Trawl’s co-owner Hans Sandgreen, it is currently very expensive to replace a trawler, so it is only possible to get a new one if finances allow.

– We are most interested in getting a trawler with a factory, but the plan has now been severely delayed, making it more and more expensive over time.

– If the order is not changed, coastal shrimp fishing may become unprofitable, and we will not be able to implement our plan, he says.

The cruise company Isortaq Trawl ApS operates, among other things, Hotel Nuka, Café Nuka, Restaurant & Bar Iluliaq and Café Iluliaq.

Investigation underway 

It is not yet possible to say anything about what changes will be made to the Fisheries Act, as preparations are still underway to propose changes or additions to the Act, Naalakkersuisoq Minister for Fisheries, Hunting, Agriculture and Self-Sustainability Peter Borg, of the Democrats, told Sermitsiaq.