Regulation No. 12 on the technical regulation of fisheries.

This Regulation of the Government of Greenland establishes a comprehensive framework for the technical regulation of fisheries under the 2024 Fisheries Act. It applies to commercial fishing with Greenland-registered vessels, and, unless otherwise agreed, also to foreign vessels operating within Greenland’s fisheries territory or on Greenlandic quotas abroad. The regulation sets out geographical restrictions (such as limits within 3 nautical miles of the baseline), seasonal and species-specific rules (e.g., shrimp, halibut, crab, scallops, salmon, and lumpfish), and strict equipment standards. These include mesh size requirements for nets, prohibitions on certain destructive fishing methods (explosives, firearms, poisons, electrofishing without permission), and mandatory use of sorting grids and gear modifications to reduce bycatch. Special provisions regulate vulnerable marine ecosystems, fishing in newly opened areas, and gear marking, retrieval, and reporting of lost equipment. Welfare standards for live-fish holding in cages or well-boats are also mandated.
The regulation further stipulates that only approved gear types may be used, bans unmarked or improperly stowed gear, and introduces specific measures for species conservation (such as seasonal closures for crab and lumpfish, and catch-and-release provisions for salmon in the Kapisillit River). Enforcement is backed by penalties under the Greenlandic Criminal Code, with fines applicable to both individuals and legal entities, and cases handled by the Court of Greenland. The regulation replaces previous fisheries regulations from 2002 and 2017, consolidating them into a single, updated instrument aimed at sustainable fisheries management, protection of marine ecosystems, and compliance with international standards.