Regulation No. 10 on licenses and quotas for fisheries.

This Regulation of the Government of Greenland sets out the rules for licenses and quotas in fisheries, covering both commercial and non-commercial activities, as wellas dog sleds. It applies to Greenlandic vessels and foreign vessels operating within Greenland’s fishing territory or on Greenlandic quotas abroad. The document defines key terms such as “coastal” and “offshore” fisheries, gross tonnage, vessel length, processing, individual transferable quotas (IOK), and Olympic fisheries (without individual catch limits). Licenses are required for all regulated fishing activities, specifying the vessel(s) and operator, and can include conditions such as landing obligations. Vessels must be approved for use in fisheries, with strict requirements on ownership, registration, and documentation. Several license types are established, including time-limited licenses with or without catch limits, IOK licenses (mainly for shrimp, halibut, and crab), and specific licenses for non-commercial cod fishing. New entrants face strict eligibility rules, with age and training requirements, and additional provisions exist for exceptional cases like illness or equipment loss.
The regulation also sets out detailed rules for particular fisheries, including halibut (divided into management areas, with restrictions on overlapping licenses), lumpfish (annual quotas and periods), salmon (with conditions on ownership of gear and vessels, and sale limited to local markets), and scallops (with area-based quotas). Chartering of vessels, both Greenlandic and foreign, is permitted under strict conditions, requiring government approval and detailed documentation. Fishing must cease immediately when quotas or periods are exhausted, with clear procedures for communication to Greenlandic and foreign vessels. Violations—such as fishing without a license, breaching vessel approval rules, or ignoring quota closures—are punishable by fines and confiscations under Greenland’s Criminal Code, applicable also to companies.