In an open letter, Siumut has warned Naalakkersuisut against a recommendation from NAMMCO for zero-harvest of narwhals in East Greenland. The party does not believe that there is a sufficiently documented and transparent basis for the recommendation.
However, head of department and researcher at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Fernando Ugarte, disputes the claim:
- The basis for the advice is extensively documented and publicly available in a number of places, writes Fernando Ugarte in a written comment to Sermitsiaq.
Reports are public
He refers to a number of research reports and notes, which can be found on the websites of NAMMCO, Naalakkersuisut, Inatsisartut, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and others.
Here, among other things, you can read that the advice on zero-harvest is based primarily, but not exclusively, on the documented population development observed in the counts from 2008, 2016, 2017 and 2022, which is one of the information Siumut is calling for.
Fernando Ugarte also highlights that narwhal hunters from several settlements in the Tasiilaq area and from Ittoqqortoormiit actively participated in planning the count in 2022.
The hunters also acted as observers during the counts and participated in subsequent meetings where the results were reviewed and discussed.
Results published in scientific journals
Siumut also claims that NAMMCO's assessments are based on helicopter-based counts.
- Narwhals – like other whales and walruses – are counted from Twin Otter aircraft, not from helicopters, states Fernando Ugarte.
Siumut further writes in his warning that "Greenland should adopt more proven and internationally recognized methods".
Regarding this claim, Fernando Ugarte emphasizes that the results of narwhal counts in East Greenland have been published in recognized international scientific journals and have undergone peer review.
- This ensures a solid and internationally recognized scientific basis, says Fernando Ugarte.
