Peter Borg: Shrimp competitors need to talk to each other

In just a few years, the shrimp quota has been reduced by 35 percent – ​​from 115,000 tons in 2022 to 75,000 tons this year. With fewer shrimp, the need for land-based shrimp factories has been challenged and many jobs are threatened.

Polar Seafood has sounded the alarm and indicated that it will be highly uncertain whether the company's shrimp factory in Aasiaat can continue to open due to the reduced shrimp quotas that the largest privately owned fishing company has been allocated.

This has caused great concern in the local community in Aasiaat, as 115 employees risk losing their jobs, which will cost the local community dearly in lost tax revenue.

Passing the monkey on

Aqqalu C. Jerimiassen from Atassut has asked Naalakkersuisut in a paragraph 37 question “what concrete initiatives are planned to ensure employment and business activity in the area (Aasiaat, ed.), if the raw material base is reduced”.

The answer from Peter Borg, Naalakkersuisoq for Fisheries, Hunting, Agriculture, Self-sufficiency and Environment, does not contain any form of lifeline from the Government. On the contrary, he passes the “monkey” on to the two largest fishing companies in this country.

- As mentioned, there are 4 shrimp factories in Greenland, all of which will be affected by the declining shrimp population, and competition between the factories for the favor of shrimp fishermen is therefore expected to become tougher in 2026, concludes Peter Borg.

He states that he is in ongoing dialogue with Polar Seafood regarding their factory in Aasiaat. In this connection, Peter Borg writes that he has asked Polar Seafood and Royal Greenland to enter into a dialogue on "how they can possibly together ensure employment at the land-based facilities by continuing downward consulting".

- This dialogue will continue, is the brief and concluding statement from Peter Borg in his response.