Atuagagdliutit - 28.11.1990, Qupperneq 4

AALISAAT/INUIT HUNTERS
NR. 1 1990
Arsuk aalisakkerivillu »Arsuk AMBA« tulaassassanik amigaateqarput. Tulaassat 1989imi
taamaalineranut sanilliullugit 12 millioner kronit sinnerlugit nalilinnik kinguariarliusi-
mapput, tamannalu soorunalimi nunaqariimmiunut 335iusunut nalunnartorujussuuvoq.
Arsuk with the fishfactory »Arsuk AMBA« needs raw material. Compared to 1989, there’s
a decrease in the amount of raw material equal to more than 12 million kroners, and this
has quite a drastic effect in the settlement with it’s 335in-habitants. (Photo: AG’s archive).
Failing fishery creates serious problems
Failing cod- and salmon fishing in Arsuk, Paamiut and Qeqertarsuatsiaat creates serious economical problems for the
fishermen and the population as a whole
1990 seems everything
but bright to a number of
active fishing towns and
-settlements in South
and Midgreenland. In
Arsuk alone a decrease
in landings for »Arsuk
Amba« has accounted
for at least 12 million
kroners. The decrease in
landings for the factory
in Paamiut is for cod alo-
ne responsible for 35 mil-
ion kroners. In Qeqer-
tarsuatsiaat there’s a ge-
neral decrease of more
than 6 million kroners
for the fish-landings in
1990.
The total decrease in lan-
dings puts the fishermen in
an unusually poor economi-
cal situation. Because of the
failing supply to the respec-
tive factories, an incredibly
large incomedecrease for the
factory workers exists, the-
reby creating a large drop in
tax-income especially for the
municipality of Paamiut.
The reasons for the drastic
drop in the catches is meant
to be a far too large chuck-
out of small cod from traw-
lers in the years 1988 and
1988, moreover it seems
that the temperature in the
ocean has generally drop-
ped, and the population of
whales and seals has increa-
sed to a far large.
Many pound-net- and sal-
mon fishermen in Arsuk,
Paamiut and Qeqertarsuat-
siaat are today in a very un-
stable situation because of
the failing cod- and salmon
fishing.
- It is especially during
1990, that salmon and cod
fishing has drasticly decrea-
sed, members of the fishing-
and hunting unions of Ar-
suk, Paamiut and Qeqertar-
suatsiaat explains.
On the background of the
disastrous situation, the lo-
cal fishing- and hunting
unions have demanded to
get advice from the locally
chosen members of the exe-
cutive committee in
KNAPK, from the president
of KNAPK Pavia Nielsen
and from the head- quarters
in Nuuk.
Unfortunately, the presi-
dent of KNAPK hasn’t had
the opportunity to visit the
local branches, but has in-
stead sent Peter Davidsen,
Nikolaj Knudsen and con-
sultant Alfred Jakobsen, all
executive committe mem-
bers of the Southern branch.
The situation in Arsuk
Consultant Alfred Jakobsen
explains to »Aalisaat«, that
the salmon-, halibut- and
cod fishermen are nearly on
the edge of bankruptcy.
- During the meetings
with the board and the
members in fishing- and
hunting union of Arsuk, in-
formation which clearly Sta-
tes the seriousness of the
present situation was sub-
mitted, says Alfred Jakobs-
en.
- The fishermen explai-
ned, that there hasn’t been
any significant salmon or
cod in nearly one and half
years, and that the value of
the decrease in landings for
»Arsuk Amba« compared to
the same period in 1989,
amounts to more than 12
million kroners. Fishermen
with larger vessels have be-
en to South Greenland du-
ring the summer to fish cod,
but because of the increased
running costs of fishing the
fishermen haven’t been able
to quite reach the income
necessary to pay the regular
fees, like instalment to loans
made to ESU, rent and ot-
her for the comming winter,
Alfred Jakobsen explains.
- To the fishermen with
smaller vessels or dinghies,
the situation is even worse
since there are no other spe-
cies which can contribute to
the payment of the regular
expenses, rent and other.
- Some fishermen in Ar-
suk still try to fish cod, cat-
fish or Greenland halibut.
But since the amounts are
too small, this is pure deficit
to the fishermen, Alfred Ja-
kobsen explains.
- And since the catches of
the last 3-4 years shows that
there is not landed any ma-
jor catches during winterti-
me, the situation could have
a distastrous development
to the settlement.
Sealskins - an option
- But, Alfred Jakobsen con-
tinues, the fishermen have
succeded in keeping the spi-
rit high. They therefore pro-
pose that a trade with frozen
or salted sealskins to be
started, and seals are not
exactly short in supply in to-
day’s Greenland. For that
reason a delegation from
KNAPK, cooperating with
the board of »Arsuk Amba«
has sent an urgent applica-
tion to the tannery in Qa-
qortoq and to the directora-
te of vocation with a demand
to start trading frozen seal-
skin to »Arsuk Amba« as
quickly as possible.
The fishermen are now
hoping that the trade with
salted or frozen sealskin can
be initiated, so that they
thereby can earn a few
bucks to make a living.
- The delegation from
KNAPK told the fishermen,
that the new director of the
tanneiy has shown great in-
terest in trying to trade in
frozen sealskin, since the
frozen sealskins seem to be
of better quality than the
salted ones, says Alfred Ja-
kobsen.
- Since we do not have any
other species of fish to start
fishing, we have to find new
options all the time. We ha-
ve a lot of seals in the area,
so why not exploit that, says
the fishermen. And there is
also among other things
guillemots and eiders, which
we are interested in produ-
cing at the factory. But since
the attendant demands that
there must not be produced
meat and fish in the factoiy
at the same time, it’s been
hard to experiment with
these birds in the past, the
fishermen explained.
What about the meat?
- Of course we are also inter-
ested in producing sealmeat
at the factoiy. But since the-
re are not enough buyers on
the Greenlandic market,
there’s a chance that some
of the meat might be wa-
sted. Therefore, the Home
Rule should try to find ex-
port markets for sealmeat.
For an example you could te-
ach all the starving millions
of the world to eat sealmeat,
- it is healthy, and those peo-
ple are in lack of protein, one
of the boardmembers in the
fishing union proposes.
Oil-spotted birds
Du ring the meetings with
the fishing union in Arsuk,
it was moreover explained
that they sometimes caught
birds covered with thick oil.
The oil is believed to come
from the German ship
which sank right outside Ar-
suk in the beginning of the
60’ies.
- There seems to be a con-
nection between storms and
the number of birds we
catch with oil-spots, since
we after each storm seem to
catch more oil-spotted birds,
says one of the fishermen,
Niels Peter Mikaelsen who
continues:
- We only know of the ship-
wreck which lies on the bot-
tom of the sea out by Qeqer-
takasiit in the entrance to
Arsuk. Everytime there’s
been a storm, we can only
guess that the ship has been
in motion and thereby lea-
ked more oil from the tanks.
The wreck was examined
by a team of scuba divers in
the fail of 1989, but since
then, nothing has been done
about the wreck.
The situation in
Paamiut
Like in Arsuk, meetings we-
re held between executive
committee member Nikolaj
Knudsen and the fishing-
and hunting union of Paa-
miut, to discuss the present
situation of fishing in Paa-
miut.
Most of the people present
were dinghy fishermen,
which informed that there
had been a great decrease in
the catch of cod and salmon
this year compared to 1989.
This State of things has re-
sulted that most of the fis-
hermen with smaller ves-
sels, especially dinghy fis-
hermen, today find themsel-
ves in a situation of emer-
gency. According to an sta-
tement worked out by voca-
tional consultant Poul Møl-
ler, there’s a decrease of cod
by more than 8.000 tons,
which sums up to a value of
about 35 million kroners
this year in comparison to
the same period last year.
Because of the large decrea-
se in catch most fishermen
and hunters are in a situa-
tion, in which they are una-
ble to pay within the settling
period for the Home Rule’s
and the municipality’s
ESU-loan, rent, taxes and
other regular expenses.
- There are some fisher-
men with larger vessels,
who are fishing Greenland
halibut and redfish around
Paamiut, while others fish
for shrimp. The landings of
course causes a little pro-
duction in the factory and
thereby a little occupation is
created by the Coastal fisher-
men. Even though this is so,
it might be a deficit business
for the society as a whole,
says Alfred Jakobsen to »Aa-
lisaat«.
The fishermen in Paa-
miut are investigating the
option of trading salted
and/or frozen sealskin and
bivalve to the factory in Paa-
miut.
The situation in
Qeqertarsuatsiaat
The co-operative society
»Ervnga« in Qeqertarsuat-
siaat, which today has beco-
me a branch of Godthåb Fi-
ske Industry, mainly produ-
ces cod, salmon, catfish and
fiord cod. According to the
statement, which is worked
out by the daily manager
Finn Frederiksen, over the
daily landings from the fis-
hermen in the settlement,
the total value of fish landet
at »Ervnga« and landing
vessels amounts to more
than 9,4 million kroners.
According to the statement
of landings in 1990 there has
been payed out 3,5 million
kroners to the fishermen so
far, - totalling a decrease
compared to the former year
of more than 5,9 million
kroners for the local fisher-
men.
The statement also shows
that it’s especially the cod-
fishing where the decrease
is to be found, so far total-
ling 6,2 million kroners. The
value of the landings for the
factory in 1989 has been mo-
re than 3,1 million kroners.
Manager at »Ervnga«
Finn Frederiksen inform
»Aalisaat«, that there at the
moment is landed about 5
tons of different fish species
a week.
There is at the moment
negotiations going on con-
ceming the option of tra-
ding salted and/or frozen se-
alskins to »Ervnga«.
Need of acute help
from the Helpfund
The members of the three
local branches in KNAPK
have been requested to send
applications to »The Special
Helpfund«, where parlia-
ment-member Kaj Egede is
chairman.
Besides applications to
the »Helpfund«, there’s a
number of fishermen, who
have applied to get old debts
remitted, especially to ESU,
and even more have applied
for respite concerning ESU,
BSU, Sankloans and muni-
cipal-ESU, Alfred Jakobsen
informs »Aalisaat«, and con-
tinues: - Generally, fisher-
men and hunters are very
reluctant to seek economical
aid from the authorities and
to seek respite concerning
regular costs and loans. So-
me have tried to get social
security from the social se-
curity ofilces, but since only
SIK members are entitled to
receive aid, everybody has
been rejected. Since the fis-
hermen don’t have any ot-
her options to receive econo-
mical aid, we have requested
them to send in applications
for the »Helpfund«, which is
going to hold a meeting De-
cember 7th 1990.
Susan Ness of the directo-
rate of vocation informs
»Aalisaat«, that there at the
moment is about 1,5 million
kroners available in the
»Helpfund«.
It is presumed that the
»Helpfund« will receive qui-
te a few applications from
fishermen and hunters in
the time to come.