The Avannaata municipality on Greenland’s west coast approved a controversial plan in February to cull 1,000 Greenland sharks—vertebrates capable of living over 400 years—by offering a bounty of 300 Danish krone, roughly $44 to $45 USD, for every heart brought in by commercial fishers, The Guardian reported. National officials subsequently halted the bounty over legal concerns, but the measure exposed a stark economic conflict in Arctic coastal communities where slow-moving sharks tangle in expensive longline gear.
Commercial Fishing Losses Sparked the Proposed Cull
Commercial fishing drives nearly 25% of Greenland’s economy, particularly in coastal towns like Ilulissat where operators target Greenland halibut and Atlantic cod using longline gear, according to Clarin.com. Henrik Jensen, a 27-year-old fisherman interviewed by The Guardian, stated that he lost approximately 6,000 hooks and up to 30,000 Danish krone—about $4,500—in a single day when the lumbering 20-foot sharks fouled his lines.
Timotheus Petersen, chair of the fishing association in Kullorsuaq, explained to NDTV that a single longline costs 1,599 krone. When sharks cut the lines, fishers cannot finish their work and must purchase replacement equipment.
To ease this financial strain, Avannaata Mayor Lars Erik Gabrielsen defended the municipal vote by telling The Guardian that leaders must safeguard the income of fishers and the catch relied upon for generations. Critics counter that the species, which grows up to 20 feet long and reaches sexual maturity at age 150, is ill-equipped to withstand targeted culling.
Marine Conservationists Warn of Irreversible Ecological Damage
The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the Greenland shark as a vulnerable species in 2020, as PEOPLE reported. Because females are believed to gestate their young for over a decade and populations are still recovering from commercial harvesting in the 19th and mid-20th centuries, conservationists argue the species is exceptionally sensitive to overfishing.
Simon Fraser University marine conservationist Nick Dulvy told The Guardian that biological traits make the species the most sensitive in the ocean to overfishing. He added that culling a couple of thousand animals would be a disaster.
Jenseeraq Poulsen, director of the marine conservation group Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat (ONKN), told The Guardian that the shark is merely the visible version of structural problems like overfishing and an excess of boats. Dr. Julius Nielsen, a Greenland shark expert who has studied the species for over a decade, told NDTV that initiating a bounty of this magnitude is a risky path.
Migratory Behavior Undermines the Bounty System
Research indicates that a bounty system would fail to solve gear loss because Greenland sharks travel up to 1,240 miles per year, according to Clarin.com. ONKN warned that sharks removed from northwest Greenland would quickly be replaced by individuals arriving from other regions, while discarded carcasses could attract even more predators to active fishing grounds.
Instead of a lethal cull, conservationists and researchers have proposed non-lethal alternatives.
Arctic Marine Intelligence
Did you know that Greenland sharks are the longest-living vertebrates on Earth?
Common Questions About the Greenland Shark Conflict
Why do Greenland sharks target fishing gear?
Greenland sharks feed on the exact same species that commercial operators target, such as Greenland halibut and Atlantic cod, according to Clarin.com. As the sharks attempt to eat hooked fish, they become tangled in longlines, tearing apart equipment and escaping with thousands of hooks.
How much financial damage do the sharks cause local fishers?
Fishermen like Henrik Jensen report losing up to 30,000 Danish krone—about $4,500 USD—in lost hooks and damaged gear in a single day, as The Guardian reported. Individual longlines cost 1,599 krone each, according to Kullorsuaq fishing association chair Timotheus Petersen.
What is the legal status of the proposed shark cull?
The Avannaata municipality approved the bounty plan in February, but Greenland’s national government temporarily halted the measure after questioning its legality, Clarin.com reported. Conservation groups caution that while the plan was blocked, future culls have not been ruled out.
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