Unsafe workers at the factory

Polar Raajat A/S, which is owned by Polar Seafood, operates the fish factory in Aasiaat, which is open year-round. It produces various fish, crabs, rockfish roe and shrimp.

Purchasing of shrimp takes place year-round, but when the area around Aasiaat is covered in ice, production stops and employees are sent home at times.

The future of the fish factory in Aasiaat is uncertain. The employees do not know whether it will remain open or close, says one of their two representatives, Ane Jensen Zethsen.

She has worked in the factory's shrimp department for the past eight years.

According to the chairman of SIK's branch in Aasiaat, SIP, Nuunu Johansen Jeremiassen, a closure of the fish factory in Aasiaat will not only affect the employees, but also have major consequences for the town with almost 3,000 inhabitants.

Creates insecurity

The fish factory in Aasiaat has up to 115 employees and is therefore of great importance to the business community in the town.

If the factory closes, they will lose their jobs, Polar Seafood has announced. When the future is uncertain, it creates insecurity, says Ane Jensen Zethsen.

– We don't know whether we will continue or stop in the coming time, and that is of course insecure.

– If the factory closes, many will have to look for work through the municipality. It may be difficult to find a new job in Aasiaat, so many will have to look for work in other cities.

– But if a closure is inevitable, there can be little protest. If there is a possibility to keep the factory open, it will of course be the best for everyone, she says.

Ane Jensen Zethsen adds that some of the employees hope that Royal Greenland or Halibut Greenland can take over the operation if the fish factory closes.

At Polar Raajat's fish factory in Aasiaat, there are also some workers from outside Greenland, but it is not possible to say exactly how many there are right now.

This will have serious consequences

The concern that the fish factory may close has not been addressed directly to SIP, says SIP's chairman, Nuunu Johansen Jeremiassen.

– But I know through the employees' union representative that the employees at the factory are insecure.

– The factory is the heart of the city. If it closes, it will not only affect the employees, but also their families. And it will have major consequences for the city, she says.

If the factory closes, there are concerns that business in Aasiaat could stagnate, says Nuunu Johansen Jeremiassen.

A similar situation could arise

When Royal Greenland's halibut factory in Qeqertarsuaq closed in 2008, it resulted in around 30 employees being laid off.

At that time, several of those laid off moved with their families to other cities. This had a significant impact on the business community in the city and resulted in a significant decrease in the population in the following years.

In 2007, Qeqertarsuaq had 1,013 inhabitants, and in 2026 the number had fallen to 802.

A similar situation in Aasiaat worries the chairman of SIP in Aasiaat, Nuunu Johansen Jeremiassen.

Will have a significant impact on the city

The possibility that Polar Raajat's fish factory in Aasiaat could close is of concern to all parties in the municipal council of Kommune Qeqertalik. They are demanding that the Government of Greenland take action to ensure that the factory can remain open.

On Monday, March 2, the municipal council held an extraordinary meeting on the matter. If the fish factory were to close, the financial consequences for Aasiaat and the entire municipality were presented.

It is expected that 16 million kroner will be used to support the unemployed, and in addition, it is expected that tax revenues of 3.4 million kroner will be lost.

When the various consequences of the closure are taken into account, it is feared that the costs and lost revenues will be much greater.