Food for thought: Understanding transitions in Greenland fish monitoring practices

Introduction: Fishing plays an important role in Greenland food security providing both a source of income and food. Pressures from outside forces, such as climate change, overfishing, and contaminants, make it necessary for this industry to adapt to changing evidence. Therefore, understanding how new evidence is incorporated into the fishing industry is vital to ensuring that the entire system can adapt in a sustainable manner to the pressures upon it. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted on 13 individuals from policy making, research, and industry related to the fishing industry to understand the evidence used by the fishing industry, actorss respondes to new evidence, and the reception of evidence. Eight people were interviewed in person in Nuuk, three over skype, and one in person in Copenhagen. Results: Stakeholders interviewed represent opposing priorities. Meanwhile, transparent communication is important to the adherence of sustainable fishing techniques. Social media was found to be a controversial yet important tool to spread information. The term indigenous knowledge was described as user or local knowledge as it represents a diverse array of practices that may be a source of ideas for future scientific if a systematized approach is taken. Discussion: Understanding actors’ response to evidence gives rise to practice is important to understand the sustainability of the fishing system. The fishing industry should continue its economic contribution while minimizing the consumption of potentially harmful chemicals. To achieve this, transparent fishing practices and different communication techniques such as focus groups and a systematized way of testing and incorporating local practices into science could be useful. By incorporating these ideas, the fishing industry can be a source of healthy, sustainable food ensuring the wellbeing of Greenlanders.