Greenlandic vessels caught 54,900 tons. Landings 

 declined to 42,500 tons in 1991 (26,900 tons by 

 Greenlanders) and then to 20,300 tons in 1992 

 (10,400 tons by Greenlanders). Scientific studies 

 conducted by the Greenland Fisheries Research 

 Institute reveal that the stocks of cod found off 

 Greenland have not recovered from the serious 

 declines of the 1960s. Since the 1960s, poor 

 recruitment has been the rule, rather than the 

 exception. Only the 1973 and 1984 year-classes were 

 of any significance. The population has since shifted 

 towards the southern coasts of Greenland. The 

 outlook for recovery of Greenland's cod fishery does 

 not appear good and an annual catch of 10-20,000 

 tons is the best that can be projected by fishery 

 biologists for the foreseeable future. Greenland's 

 shrimp fishery began in the late 1950s and early 

 1960s following the failure of the cod fishery; poor 

 landings of cod forced fishermen to seek alternative 

 species. Fortunately, Greenland had huge offshore 

 resources of small, coldwater shrimp. The harvest of 

 these shrimp has grown substantially. Greenland's 

 shrimp landings were 71,300 tons in 1992. The 

 strong increase in landings have decreased deepwater 

 shrimp prices. Lower shrimp prices and rising 

 operating costs hurt some of Greenland's shrimp 

 fishermen. 



2. Fleet Background 



There were 462 fishing vessels registered in 

 1990, including 39 large trawlers over 500-GRT. 

 Most of Greenland's fishing fleet (80 vessels) sails 

 out of the port at Nuuk, which includes 19 trawlers 

 over 500-GRT- (Table 1 and 2). 



yard as a 50-meter long wet fish trawler." 

 Negotiations for the purchase of 2 additional trawlers 

 were initiated and the vessels were expected to arrive 

 in 1971.' Royal Greenland began fishing for 

 deepwater shrimp with an 800-GRT vessel (un- 

 named) in 1973.* By 1978, Greenland had 6 vessels 

 (4,329-GRT) in operation and this increased to 8 

 vessels (6,067-GRT) in 1981.' The trawler Siku 

 (1,650-GRT) arrived following a refit in Danish 

 shipyards in 1983; the vessel, the former British 

 trawler Junella was expected to fish for cod. Other 

 additions to Greenland's fleet was the Auveq (the 

 former Danish trawler Helen Basse) and the Thor 

 Trawl (2,557-GRT former West German trawler 

 Tubingen)} In 1984, the Nokasa underwent a 

 modernization process in a Danish shipyard (11 

 meters were added to the length of the ship) and the 

 ship returned to Greenland to resume shrimping.' In 

 1985, the Tasiilaq (1,376-GRT) was delivered to 

 Greenland by the Orskov Christensens shipyards in 

 Denmark. This reportedly was the 15th trawler built 

 for Greenland by that shipyard.'" The Vilhelm Egede 

 (1,100-GRT), the M. Rakel (1,100-GRT) and the 

 Quipoqqaq (1,700-GRT) were all delivered to Polar 

 Seafoods of Nuuk in 1985." In 1986, the Greenland 

 Government aimounced that it would invest $26.6 

 million in buying new and used trawlers and factory 

 vessels to fish redfish, halibut, cod, and capelin as 

 part of the nation's fleet modernization program.'^ 

 The Nanoq Trawl (2,340-GRT) was one of the latest 

 vessels built for Greenland. The ship, built in a 

 Norwegian shipyard, was delivered in 1989 and was 

 designed to fish for shrimp.'^ 



4. Decommissioning Programs 



Lloyd's Register includes Greenland's fishing 

 fleet statistics under Denmark. This, 



unfortunately, causes problems in compiling 

 statistical information. The authors have not 

 included information about Greenland's high-seas 

 fleet in its statistical presentations. Tables 1 and 

 2 provides information on Greenland's fishing 

 fleet. 



3. Modernization Programs 



The Royal Greenland Trade Department began 

 investigating the use of large stem trawlers in 1964.^ 

 Greenland's first trawler, the Nuk arrived in May 

 1969. The Nuk was built in the Ankerlokken Verft 



The Government of Greenland was modernizing 

 and expanding its fleet up to 1990, when cod landings 

 declined from 87,000 tons in 1989 to 56,000 tons in 

 1990. The loss of this high valued species impacted 

 the industry. The northern shrimp fishery was also in 

 difficulty, although the catch increased from 65,000 

 tons in 1989 to 73,000 tons in 1990. Despite the 

 increase, the competition was so great that 

 profitability was begirming to decline. The 

 Greenland Home Rule Authority granted loans to 

 companies willing to withdraw their vessels from the 

 shrimp fleet in an effort to make the fishery more 

 profitable. In 1990, Royal Greenland sold 3 of its 

 trawlers as part of a restructuring program designed 

 to cut losses. The sale of these 3 vessels, plus the 



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