Qeqertarsuaq – Trap Greenland

© Styrelsen for Dataforsyning og Infrastruktur

Until 1950, Godhavn, now Qeqertarsuaq, was the administrative headquarters of North Greenland. The town’s fishermen were among the first cutter fishermen to catch prawns in the 1960s, and a thriving economy and rapidly growing population emerged. Later, the town was impacted by the centralisation of shrimp fishing and processing, which led to population decline.
KÅRE HENDRIKSEN, 2020

Qeqertarsuaq on the south side of the island of Qeqertarsuaq (Disko) is named after the island, which means ‘the big island’. Qeqertarsuaq is also the name used for Qeqertarsuup Tunua (Disko Bay). The town’s Danish name is Godhavn (the Good Harbour) – the only early Danish colony in Greenland where the Danish name describes the place; the town located on a bay that provided shelter and good protection for the sailing ships of the time. The island of Qeqertarsuaq is slightly larger than the Danish island of Zealand, and is mostly made up of basalt. There are several hot springs close to the town that contribute to an unusually high and strong vegetation. Qeqertarsuaq has 838 residents, and the district’s settlement has 11 residents.

History of Qeqertarsuaq

The waters around Qeqertarsuaq are abundant in whales, seals and other marine mammals, and there are several archaeological finds dating back to the first migrations to Greenland. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Qeqertarsuup Tunua played a key role in European whale hunting operations, and the Dutch had a permanent whale hunting station west of the town of Qeqertarsuaq at what is known as Hollænderhavnen (the Dutch Harbour).

In 1773, a Danish whale hunting lodge was established in Qeqertarsuaq. The aim was to strengthen Danish whale hunting and to limit other countries’ whale hunting and trade with the Inuit. Qeqertarsuaq, which was given colony status, was an important centre for the catching of bowhead whales.

Population development in Qeqertarsuaq 1886‑2021.
GRØNLANDS STATISTIK

The homothermic springs and the vegetation as well as the geographical conditions meant an increase in scientific expeditions from the late 19th century, and in 1906, the botanist Morten P. Porsild established a natural science station that has been the centre of multifaceted research. The station is currently run by the University of Copenhagen under the name Arctic Station.

The North Greenland Printing Company was established in the town in 1913, and from 1925 to 1950, Qeqertarsuaq served as the headquarters of the administration of North Greenland. This was despite the fact that, in 1947, the colony with its 341 residents was the second smallest town in North Greenland. As an administrative capital, Qeqertarsuaq was prioritised throughout the colonial period and, compared with other towns, had a relatively high level of education. Combined with its natural resources, the town generally had a good base for trade and industry.

During post-war modernisation, fishermen from Qeqertarsuaq were among the first to switch to cutter fishery for shrimp in Qeqertarsuup Tunua, and in 1963, a shrimp factory opened in Qeqertarsuaq, and by 1981, Godhavn Shrimp A/S produced 200 tons of shrimp and had 20‑25 employees. Furthermore, four to five people worked at the Disko Laks factory, which traded salmon, seal, whale and Greenland halibut.

The shrimp fishing from cutters helped develop the town’s economy and contributed to significant population growth, and in 1994, the number of residents peaked at 1,125 and the town was generally considered to be well-functioning. Shrimp fishing became centralised from the early 1990s with quotas being distributed among fewer and larger vessels. The cutter fishery for shrimp disappeared from Qeqertarsuaq, and in 2001, the shrimp trading moved to Aasiaat. With the closing of the town’s shrimp factory, a large number of jobs disappeared resulting in a gradual outward migration.

As a replacement for the shrimp factory, Royal Greenland established a production of halibut frills in 1999. Frill production stopped in 2008 and about 30 employees lost their jobs. The factory was sold to Greenland Spring Water ApS and was converted into tapping spring water from the springs close to the town. Water production was unsuccessful and the factory building is now being leased by Royal Greenland, which use it for seasonal production of lumpsucker roe.

Fishermen increasingly began fishing for other species. Especially crabs gained relatively high importance in the first years, just as Greenland halibut or lumpsucker have been economically important, but never achieved the same importance as the former shrimp trade.

In continuation of the 2009 municipal amalgamation, which saw Qeqertarsuaq become part of Qaasuitsup Kommunia, a number of administrative tasks were moved to Ilulissat, which reinforced the outward migration. Qeqertarsuaq became part of the new Kommune Qeqertalik in 2018.

Development and geography of Qeqertarsuaq

Qeqertarsuaq is located on a relatively level peninsula with the high red basalt mountains as a backdrop, and there are several springs and a large river close to the town. The historic colonial buildings near the port are centrally located in the town. This is also where the church, called Vorherres Blækhus (Our Lord’s Inkwell), lies. Most homes are singlefamily homes and, to a lesser extent, terraced houses. The town continues east along the beach, and towards the edge of the town lies the Arctic Station, a geophysical observatory, and the former ionosphere station, which now serves as a hostel. On the beach, called Sortsand (Black Sand), lies the town’s football field with artificial turf as well as the heliport.

During summer, Disko Line operates passenger services to Qeqertarsuaq by relatively small boats, and during winter, the town is served by Air Greenland by helicopter. On several occasions, plans have been made to establish a runway on Sortsand (Black Sand), and the beach has occasionally been used as a runway for small aircraft.

The many springs mean that Qeqertarsuaq has plenty of good drinking water. Still, only part of the town is connected to a water supply network – the other households have a water tank and get water delivered or pick up water themselves in containers at one of the town’s tapping houses.

Only a small part of the town has a sewer system, and most households use toilet buckets and collection of latrines. The town has a diesel-based power station. The central roads are paved while other roads are dirt roads.

Qeqertarsuaq has a small hospital that is occasionally manned with doctors and a primary school. However, people must seek elsewhere for secondary education and higher education.

The town has a supermarket and some small shops.

Trade and industry in Qeqertarsuaq

Approximately half of those in a job work in public administration, service and education, while about a quarter work in fisheries and related areas, and just over a tenth work in retail as well as in a number of small areas, including construction and tourism (2019).

Since the 1980s, several initiatives have been taken to develop Qeqertarsuaq’s huge potential for tourism, which has been somewhat successful. Tourists have several accommodation options such as Hotel Disko, and there are several providers of tourist activities such as hiking and sailing trips as well as dog sled trips in both winter and summer that go out to Lyngmarksbræen glacier. Qeqertarsuaq used to have relatively many tourists, however, in recent years tourism has been somewhat challenged by the limited transport infrastructure to the town.

History of Qeqertarsuaq

Development and geography of Qeqertarsuaq

Trade and industry in Qeqertarsuaq

Further reading