‘It’s too warm’: Greenland’s fishermen at risk from climate change

Ilulissat, Greenland — ILULISSAT, Greenland (AP) — Fisherman Helgi Argyll no longer knows what to expect in Greenland’s fjords, where he spends five days on his boat with the ever-changing northern lights in the sky as his dog, Molly, and company.

Last year, his boat got stuck in ice that broke off a nearby glacier. This year, it has been rather wet. Their income is unpredictable. A cruise can bring him about 100,000 Danish kroner (about $15,700), or nothing.

The Arctic’s rapidly changing climate is bringing more questions to Greenland, a semi-autonomous region of Denmark that has been shaken by US President Donald Trump’s ownership interest.

Although Trump’s approach to Greenland has changed, the world has not been able to slow down the effects of climate change. The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the world due to the burning of oil, gas and coal.

What this means for the fishing industry, which largely drives Greenland’s economy, is unknown. Fisheries account for 95% of exports, many to the United States, Japan and Europe, along with China, the region’s largest market.

Wrapped in a woolen sweater against the freezing wind, Ergill explained how he fishes for halibut and cod. Other top catches are shrimp and snow crabs, which can reach over a meter (3 ft) in length, including legs.

Traditional ice fishermen, who make up half of the local industry, are seeing the most dramatic changes in the way they fish.

“My father was fishing with sea ice” one and a half meters (about 5 feet) thick, recalled Carl Sandgreen, head of the Icejord Center, which records climate change in the region and is based in the town of Ilulissat.

That sea ice began to disappear around 1997, Sandgreen said, and fishermen who drilled through the ice to fish began fishing mostly by boat. The use of boats allows fishermen to reach larger areas, but it can come with additional costs and pollution that can accelerate warming.

Fishing shaped Greenland’s communities. At the heart of every town or village is the port where fishermen return to sell their catch. Before leaving, some fishermen take boxes from the island’s fishing companies to pack their catch, which is winched by boat to the fish factory in Nuuk’s capital.

Toke Binzer, chief executive of Royal Greenland, the island’s single largest employer, said he was increasingly worried about the future with further shrinking sea ice. That may push traditional fishermen towards larger communities and into the ranks of commercial fisheries.

The challenge now is how to support traditional fishermen when there is sometimes “too much ice to sail in, too little to go out,” Binzer said. Already, that unpredictability has caused a “big” problem.

Royal Greenland already gives fishermen money to buy a boat, Binzer said, as they recoup from selling their catch.

If everyone switched to fishing from boats, it would help economically but also lead to overfishing, said Boris Worm, a marine biodiversity expert at Canada’s Dalhousie University.

In Greenland, Binzer said there are already signs of overfishing closer to shore as halibut are getting smaller. Worm agreed, calling it a classic sign of overfishing, as large fish are caught and smaller, younger ones released.

That problem could be exacerbated as retreating ice makes fish more accessible. Worm said fish stocks could increase as warmer weather causes increased rainfall and melting ice to bring more nutrients to plankton.

However, they warn that if they can no longer eat the algae that grow under the sea ice, fish may not behave as “predictably” as they did in the past, perhaps seeking new food sources.

In his boat near Nuuk, Argyle considered another challenge: the warm weather makes some fish difficult to catch, as they go deeper in search of cooler water.

“It’s very warm,” he said, looking out over the hills around the fjord. “I don’t know where the fish are going, but there aren’t too many.”

Options beyond fishing remain few in Greenland. Tourism is increasing but is far from a significant part of the economy.

Tradition is also at the heart of worries about climate change. Already, dog sledders are confined to land when there is no sea ice.

“It’s really important for many Greenlanders to be able to go out and sail,” said Ken Jacobsen, Royal Greenland’s factory manager in Nuuk. Fishing is the “most important” thing.

In the capital alone, there are more than 1,000 boats in the harbor in summer – in an area with a total population of less than 50,000.

___

This story was supported by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation. AP is solely responsible for all matters.