First narwhal of the year caught in Qaanaaq

One of the clear signs of spring in Qaanaaq is when the first narwhal of the year is caught. This happened on April 25, when trappers brought the first narwhal home.

– It is normal for the first narwhal catch of the year to take place in April, says the chairman of the Qaanaaq Fishermen's Association, Adolf Simigaq, to ​​Sermitsiaq.

The sea ice is currently very good, and because there is plenty of halibut, the fishermen expect to continue fishing.

– I don't think all trappers will start narwhaling right now. Of course, some will only go when they feel like it, because most trappers are currently busy fishing, explains Adolf Simigaq.

Narwhaling

When spring gets warmer and the sea ice starts to melt, more hunters go out dog sledding with their kayaks.

– I believe the ice edge is currently at Kangeq, about 70-80 kilometers from Qaanaaq. The closer the ice edge gets and the milder the weather gets, the more fun it will be to go out to the ice edge to hunt narwhals, says Adolf Simigaq.

In the spring, narwhals often stay in areas with less sea ice, while in the winter, narwhaling usually does not take place due to the darkness and the harsh weather conditions.

– I would like to emphasize – and we have said this many times before – that narwhals are found all year round in the sea area off Qaanaaq, says Adolf Simigaq.

This year's narwhal catch

The weather and the sensitivity of the narwhals are crucial for when you can go hunting. Therefore, it is often difficult to predict in advance how the season's catch will develop.

– Last year, the quota was not exhausted because the narwhals were difficult to catch. Two years ago, the quota was quickly exhausted because it was easier to catch narwhals then, concludes Adolf Simigaq.