Contents

Preface
To the bitter end……………………………………………… 9
Paradise lost
How bad is it really?…………………………………………… 13
Sustainable exploitation………………………………………… 16
The few exceptions……………………………………………… 18
The colonial legacy……………………………………………… 20
In fear of hunters………………………………………………… 21
Wildlife conservation is lagging behind…………………………… 22
Hunting laws – what hunting laws?………………………………… 24
Denmark’s Nelsonian blind spot…………………………………… 25
The rising tide of international criticism…………….……………… 28
From Kayak to Yamaha
How has it come to this?…………………………………………… 31
Dreams of arctic paradise…………………………………………… 34
The population explosion………………………………………… 36
Kayaks in museums of the imagination……………………………… 38
A vast hunting ground……………………………………………… 40
Modern times……………………………………………………… 41
The fateful story of the Common Eider……………………… 43
Brόnnich’s Guillemots and Saturday roast fever……………………… 46
Born environmentalists……………………………………………… 49
The myth of the sustainable Inuit…………………………………… 52
No respect for the law……………………………………………… 56
Children – hunting they will go……………………………………… 58
Downhill all the way
The grim reality……………………………………………………… 63
Bird species…………………………………………………………… 64
     Brόnnich’s Guillemot……………………………………………… 64
Common Eider……………………………………………………… 68
King Eider…………………………………………………………… 70
Arctic Tern…………………………………………………………… 71
Geese………………………………………………………………… 73
Marine mammals………………………………………………………… 75
Polar Bear…………………………………………………………… 75
Seals………………………………………………………………… 77
Ringed Seal………………………………………………………… 79
Harbour Seal………………………………………………………… 80
Bearded Seal………………………………………………………… 81
Harp Seal…………………………………………………………… 81
Hooded Seal………………………………………………………… 83
Walrus……………………………………………………………… 84
Whales……………………………………………………………… 86
Beluga……………………………………………………………… 86
Narwhal……………………………………………………………… 89
Minke Whale………………………………………………………… 91
Fin Whale…………………………………………………………… 93
Terrestrial mammals…………………………………………………… 94
Caribou……………………………………………………………… 94
Muskox…………………………………………………………… 96
Shrimps, Bivalves and Crabs……………………………………………… 97
Deep Sea Shrimp……………………………………………………… 98
Scallop………………………………………………………………… 100
Snow Crab…………………………………………………………… 101
Fish……………………………………………………………………… 102
Greenland Halibut…………………………………………………… 103
Atlantic Cod………………………………………………………… 105
Redfish……………………………………………………………… 106
Atlantic Salmon…………………………………………………… 106
Arctic Char………………………………………………………… 107
Other species of fish…………………………………………………………… 108
Towards sustainable exploitation
What needs to be done?……………………………………………………………… 111
Workable measures………………………………………………………………… 113
Suggestions for positive initiatives……………………………… 115
Enforcement required……………………………………………………………… 119
No overnight miracles………………………………………………… 120
Eider farming………………………………………………………… 122
Nature conservation the Danish way…………………………………… 123
Ramsar sites as the linch pin…………………………………………… 124
Writing on the wall
Time is running out for Greenland……………………………………… 129
Subsidy culture………………………………………………………… 130
400 million kroner in sealskin subsidies…………………… 132
Rotting skins and scandals……………………………………………… 133
The big meat party…………………………………………………………………… 136
Sledge dogs eat dried dog food………………………………………… 139
Too expensive to eat Greenland’s own food………………… 140
Battle lines…………………………………………………………… 144
Bibliography………………………………………………………… 147
Links………………………………………………………………… 150
Index…………………………………………………………………… 151