KNAPK in a strong headwind

Kalaallit Nunaanni Aalisartut Piniartullu Kattuffiat KNAPK, which has recently been subjected to massive criticism from several actors in the fishery, is now receiving harsh criticism from Henrik Sandgreen, who is chairman of Greenland's third fishing and trapping organization QAK, who believes that KNAPK's new executive board, headed by Pele Blytmann, is inexperienced and cannot handle the task.

Inexperienced management

Inexperienced management

Henrik Sandgreen finds it highly critical that fishing stakeholders have not been informed for a long time about how the KNAPK organization will function in the future, according to the QAK chairman.

- We had expected that the new board would start work immediately after KNAPK's general meeting, but this did not happen, which indicates poor management.

- The current management of KNAPK is an expression of a lack of professional experience in organizational work. The board cannot handle the task and needs a lot of help, so it is inevitable to replace the board with someone with greater professional knowledge, says Henrik Sandgreen.

He also believes that the current leadership of KNAPK is greatly damaging to the reputation of fishing organizations in Greenland.

A riddle

The chairman of QAK also does not understand why KNAPK director Vittus Qujaukitsoq has been fired.

- The executive committee and the main board are responsible for KNAPK's operations, so responsibility for the current situation should not be placed on Vittus Qujaukitsoq, but on the first main board headed by Nikkulaat Jeremiassen .

- The chairman of KNAPK Pele Blytmann says that the director's dismissal is a request from the local branches, which is difficult to understand. Should the central board make decisions based on the requests from the local branches, or does the central board have the right to make decisions itself? asks Henrik Sandgreen.

Should join together

Henrik Sandgreen believes that one of the options for ensuring Greenlandic fishermen and trappers the best possible service and at the same time restoring trust in the organizations is to merge the three fishing and trapper organizations KNAPK, SQAPK and QAK into one organization.

- To ensure the best conditions for fishermen and trappers in Greenland, a new organizational structure must be established, either by merging three existing organizations or by forming a body that can serve as a focal point and represent common interests.

- But one thing is certain. There is a great lack of a common forum to bring together fishermen and trappers at the moment, he says.

The former chairman of KNAPK for eight years believes that the fishermen have become divided after the entry of representatives from different parties into the main boards and administration of the fishing and hunting organizations in recent years.

Nikkulaat Jeremiassen, who was chairman of KNAPK until the autumn general meeting, does not wish to comment on the matter.

Insecurity

Ulloriaq Olsen, who is chairman of KNAPK's local branch in Sisimiut, is concerned about the current one situation.

- I personally believe that we should consider whether we should remain members of KNAPK in the future, he says.

He believes that the board of directors should act quickly to solve KNAPK's financial problems.

- No one has even moved the table to solve the serious problems, and now costs must be reduced to rectify the situation, he states.

He also believes that it was appropriate to fire Vittus Qujaukitsoq, who has been responsible for KNAPK's administrative management.

Members' wishes

In the Inatsisartut election this winter, KNAPK's chairman Nikkulaat Jeremiassen, director Vittus Qujaukitsoq and board member and now re-elected Ole Jørgen Davidsen ran for Inatsisartut, which KNAPK's new chairman strongly criticized at the time. Pele Blytmann, who was chairman of KNAPK's local branch in Ilulissat, believed that it was inappropriate for KNAPK to be led by former politicians with ties to certain parties. However, he did not want to comment on whether this was the reason that Vittus Qujaukitsoq was fired.

"The members of the organization want the director fired, and we already know what it will mean for the organization if we ignore them. The members are the ones who fund the organization, and we have had to follow their wishes in order not to lose them," he says.

Pele Blytmann will not comment on Henrik Sandgreen's criticism of KNAPK's board of directors at this time.

Sad

Lars Poulsen from Siumut, who is a member of Inatsisartut and is chairman of the Fisheries, Hunting and Agriculture Committee calls KNAPK's current situation sad.

"I hope that the new board will be able to listen to their concerns and continue to work to achieve positive results," he said.

He encourages the three fisheries organisations to engage in a constructive dialogue to ensure that the fishing industry receives the best possible treatment.