UPS: Municipal shark bounty is abolished - is not legal

The environmental organization Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat has sharply criticized Avannaata Municipality after the municipality's decision to introduce a bounty scheme for Greenland sharks.

The scheme was to pay 300 kroner per shark heart submitted, with the goal of killing 1,000 animals, a total cost of 300,000 kroner. However, according to the organization, such an effort would be both a failure and without documented effect.

However, it now appears that the scheme will not come to fruition at all because the municipality is not allowed to carry out this type of intervention. This is stated in the minutes of a municipal council meeting held on 27 March.

Is included on the red list

In a presentation to municipal politicians, municipal officials explain that the municipality has been contacted by an employee from the Ministry of Fisheries, Hunting, Agriculture and Self-Sustainability.

The person asked what legal basis the municipality's decision to introduce a bounty on shark hearts is based on, because the Greenland shark is included in the red list, which means that the species is registered as being in a threatened situation in terms of population:

"The Greenland shark can be caught, and population-reducing measures can be implemented, but the municipal council cannot make a decision to directly hunt the species. The decision will therefore not be implemented, as the initiative has no legal basis," the municipality's administration writes to the politicians.

Organization: Scheme could damage Greenland's international reputation

The organization Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat has denied in a press release that killing Greenland sharks solves the challenges that the fisheries are experiencing in the northern municipality.

On the contrary, the organization describes such a scheme as a waste of public funds, which can also damage Greenland's international reputation and lacks a solid scientific basis.

The Greenland shark can move over great distances. And the smell of dead animals or fish can attract more sharks in the long run.

- A bounty scheme may end up attracting more Greenland sharks instead of reducing their numbers. Greenland sharks are highly dependent on their extremely sensitive sense of smell. Discarding fish waste, bycatch - and sharks killed for bounties - can attract more sharks to fishing grounds. Ghost gear also acts as a constant source of carrion, which also attracts sharks. In practice, the scheme can therefore backfire by attracting the very animals you want to eliminate, it says.

Understands the frustrations

However, the organization also recognizes the challenges faced by fishermen:

- Fishermen in Greenland face real challenges with the Greenland shark, and ONKN acknowledges their frustrations. Greenland sharks can become entangled in trawls, nets and longlines. Removing them takes time, can lead to damage and lost equipment, which is difficult to replace in remote areas, and fishermen can lose their catch, ONKN writes in the statement.

Like the Government of Greenland, ONKN points out that the Greenland shark is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

ONKN calls for a more long-term and knowledge-based management of the shark.