In connection with the article published on April 7, 2026, by the media house Sermitsiaq, titled ‘Too old to fish? 33-year-old rejected due to age,’ I would like to provide the following elaboration:
In 2014, an age requirement was introduced for the issuance of inshore fishing licenses. This meant that an exemption was granted from the requirement of having held a license in the preceding year, provided the applicant was between 18–29 years old and met all other legislative requirements. This exemption applied to all inshore fisheries until 2016. The exemption option was reintroduced in 2020 and remained in effect until 2023. In 2023, the regulations were amended so that this exemption now only applies to inshore Greenland halibut.
The requirement was originally introduced to manage the number of fishers accessing quotas while simultaneously providing younger generations with better opportunities to enter the industry. This was due to a significant imbalance between fishing capacity and available quotas, particularly within the Greenland halibut fishery. Consequently, a moratorium on new licenses was also in effect for the Uummannaq and Disko Bay management areas during the period 2020–2021. In 2025, at the request of the fishing industry in Ilulissat, a license moratorium was reintroduced for the Disko Bay management area.
With the new Fisheries Act, a voluntary IOK (Individual Transferable Quota) system has been introduced for inshore Greenland halibut for skiffs in management area 47; Disko Bay, Uummannaq, and Upernavik. Over time, IOKs ensure a natural adjustment of fishing capacity and quotas as fishers buy and sell quotas among themselves. Furthermore, a management plan for inshore Greenland halibut came into effect on January 1, 2025, establishing a long-term strategy for improved management of the fishery along the entire coast.
Naalakkersuisoq for Fisheries, Hunting, Agriculture, Self-sufficiency, and Environment wishes to remove the age requirement for inshore Greenland halibut. A draft of a revised executive order has been through public consultation and is expected to be approved in the near future. Once the new executive order has entered into force, it will be possible to obtain a license for inshore Greenland halibut from the age of 18 and up, provided all other legislative requirements are met.
Regards
Peter Borg
Naalakkersuisoq for Fiskeri, Fangst, Landbrug, Selvforsyning og Miljø.