"Sanna" in Upernavik icefjord. Photo: Kristine Arendt.

“Sanna” looks tiny out among the huge icebergs in the fjords around Upernavik, where we in the past two weeks have conducted biological studies. The area's richness in halibut is the cause of vigorous activity among boat fishermen as they whiz by the research ship loaded to the rail with today's longline catch on the way to the nearest trading post. The Dinghies seem vanishingly small between the icebergs, but they contribute to a substantial portion of income in the small village community.

It is clear to both hunters and biologists that the icefjords are rich and productive areas from which each year can be harvested many fish. In spite of the large deposits of especially halibut, which for decades has been picked up from the fjords, it is still not entirely clear how this richness arises. 

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