Regulation No. 39 on control of fisheries.

This Greenland Home Rule Regulation sets out a comprehensive regulatory framework for monitoring and controlling commercial fishing operations by both Greenlandic and foreign vessels. It applies not only within Greenlandic territorial waters but also to foreign vessels fishing Greenlandic quotas abroad and Greenlandic vessels operating internationally. It defines key terms related to fishing activity — including concepts like landing, transshipment, processing, and IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing — and imposes strict reporting obligations at every stage of a fishing trip. Larger vessels must use an electronic reporting system (ERS) for real-time communication with Greenland’s Fisheries Licence Control, while smaller vessels may still use paper logbooks. The regulation also governs prior notifications for arrival, departure, landing, transshipment, and port entry, and requires daily catch reporting even when no fish are taken.
The regulation further lays down rules on storage, labelling, processing, and documentation of fish onboard, mandates calibration of vessel holds, and sets strict stowage and traceability requirements to facilitate inspection. Special provisions apply to foreign vessels requesting access to Greenlandic ports, including mandatory pre-notification and confirmation by the vessel’s flag state. Arctic Command and Greenland’s Fisheries Control have broad powers to inspect vessels without a court order, and serious infringements — including IUU fishing — may lead to denial of port access, fines, confiscation of catch, and other enforcement measures.