Greenland Halts Plan to Cull 1,000 Greenland Sharks

Authorities in Greenland have halted a controversial proposal to cull 1,000 Greenland sharks after the national government questioned whether the plan was legal.

Greenland sharks can live for more than 400 years, raising conservation concerns over a proposed cull intended to reduce damage to fishing gear.

The proposal was approved earlier in 2026 by Avannaata municipality, whose administrative center is Ilulissat.

It would have paid fishermen 300 Danish kroner for each Greenland shark heart submitted, with the stated aim of reducing damage to fishing lines and protecting catches of Greenland halibut and Atlantic cod.

Greenland sharks are among the world's longest-lived vertebrates, with some estimated to live for more than 400 years.

They can grow to about six or seven meters long and reproduce very slowly, making the species particularly vulnerable to additional fishing pressure.

Local fishermen have argued that sharks damage expensive longlines and reduce their ability to catch fish.

Conservationists, however, have warned that killing large numbers of sharks could threaten the population and might not solve the underlying problems facing Greenland's fisheries.

Although the proposed cull was halted, the dispute highlights the tension between protecting fishermen's livelihoods and conserving a little-understood species in Arctic waters.