CONSERVATION OF MARINE BIRDS IN THE DANISH MONARCHY 



285 



sible outside the breeding season. Because of 

 this, it was necessary to allow some hunting 

 of murres, eiders, and immature gulls during 

 the breeding period, but away from nesting 

 locations. Consumption of seabirds is to be 

 limited to local residents, and sales to can- 

 neries for shipment to other cities is to cease. 

 Previously, canneries in northwest Greenland 

 exported large numbers of thick-billed murres 

 to South Greenland e.g., 25,606 birds in 

 1971; and 30,029 in 1972 (Anonymous 

 1974:64). This marketing of murres will end. 



Other parts of the proposal important for 

 seabirds include: 



A general closed season extending from 15 

 June to 15 August. 



Prohibition of shooting at breeding colo- 

 nies of seabirds, as is in force at present (cf. 

 above). 



Eggs of terns and gulls can be collected for 

 food in southwest Greenland to 1 July, and in 

 northwest Greenland to 10 July; fulmar and 

 murre eggs can also be collected in northwest 

 Greenland. 



Each hunter is allowed to shoot or catch 50 

 birds per day, but the entire bag must be used 

 for human consumption. 



All shooting from speedboats, aircraft, 

 and motor vehicles is prohibited. 



Catching flightless common eiders, king 

 eiders, and oldsquaws (Clangula hyemalis) is 

 prohibited. 



Practically all seabirds and shorebirds can 

 be shot; all other birds (except rock ptarmigan 

 and raven) are totally protected. 



The principles of this radical new act must 

 be taught to the population by all possible 

 means of communication, including radio, 

 public meetings, schools, etc. 



Another matter of great concern to seabirds 

 in Greenland is the Atlantic salmon fishery 

 off the west coast by Danish, Greenlandic and 

 foreign fishermen. It is well known that many 

 birds are killed in the fishing gear, and a 

 serious political controversy has arisen, espe- 

 cially between the governments of the United 

 States and Denmark. The fact that a large 

 number of thick-billed murres were drowned 

 in salmon gill nets during their southward 

 swimming migration along the Greenland 

 coast was significant. In a resolution sent by 

 the XV World Conference of the International 



Council for Bird Preservation in Texel to the 

 Danish Government, it was stated that the 

 annual incidental drowning of murres prob- 

 ably involved about 250,000 individuals a 

 figure exceeding the reproductive capacity of 

 the species. This estimate was doubted by 

 Danish fishery biologists, but recent investi- 

 gations carried out by the Canadian Wildlife 

 Service and the Fisheries Research Board of 

 Canada have shown that the figure is even 

 greater, and that the total kill amounts to 

 about half a million murres annually (Tull et 

 al. 1972). 



Because of this mortality of murres, an 

 agreement was reached between the Ameri- 

 can and Danish governments, namely that: 



From 1 January 1976, all salmon fisheries 

 outside the 12-mile boundary shall totally stop. 

 In the years 1972-75 the fishery carried out by 

 Danish and Faroese fishermen shall be reduced 

 gradually from 800 to 300 tons of fish, and shall 

 terminate on 31 December 1975. The fish quota 

 by Greenland fishermen must amount to no 

 more than 1,100 tons annually, but from 1976 

 onwards, the fishery shall be restricted to areas 

 within the 12-mile limit. 



This agreement, which has drastically re- 

 duced the number of murres caught, was dis- 

 cussed at a meeting of the International Com- 

 mittee of North Atlantic Fisheries in May 

 1972, and was ratified by the countries in- 

 volved in July 1972. 



Oil pollution has never occurred in Green- 

 land, but concessions for offshore oil drilling 

 along the West Greenland coast have just 

 been granted by the Danish Government, and 

 this new development gives rise for concern. 

 However, it is clearly stated in the concession 

 that the Ministry for Greenland can lay down 

 rules for protection against oil pollution and 

 other damage to human or animal life, and can 

 adopt measures to fight pollution which has 

 already taken place (section 5(9)). It is up to 

 the concessionary to oversee industrial de- 

 velopments in the area and see that marine 

 pollution is avoided (section 11). 



Toxic chemicals have been found in Green- 

 land seabirds, as everywhere else in the world, 

 but it must be emphasized that no pesticides 

 whatsoever are in use in Greenland itself. In- 

 vestigations by Somer and Appelquist (1974) 

 indicated that the mercury content in black 



