Gia Kleist-Lundblad feels at home in Hirtshals, which she describes as a charming port town. She enjoys being close to the sea and the small community reminds her of her hometown in Greenland. In fact, she is much happier in Hirtshals than in Lyngby, as the maritime environment and the close connection to the fishing industry allows her to connect the theory of the programme with practice.
For example, she and her fellow students have been on an expedition on Havfisken, a small 17-meter trawler based in the neighboring town of Strandby. They trawled with two different mesh sizes in the codend to see if the mesh size affects the catch. Gia Kleist-Lundblad also participated in a fish auction at the harbour early one morning while it was still dark.
“I've never seen a fish auction before, so it was educational to be able to go there and see how it works. It was great to see the fishermen bring their catch to the auction where it was sorted and presented to buyers from the fishing industry, restaurants or others who need fresh fish,” says Gia Kleist-Lundblad.
In February, the students of the BEng in Fisheries Technology began their 4th semester in Hirtshals instead of Lyngby, which has previously been home to the programme. Gia Kleist-Lundblad, a student on the Fisheries Technology programme, is personally happy about this. She is one of the few who has studied at both locations.
From a fishing family
Gia Kleist-Lundblad grew up close to the fishing industry with a grandfather who worked on a trawler for 40 years. Many of her family members are also fishermen.
“When I was little, my grandfather always told stories about his experiences at sea. He often talked about fishing in the shrimp box, which I had always thought was just a box of shrimp. But when I came across the term in my studies, I realized that the shrimp box covers a specific area that requires special permission to fish,” says Gia Kleist-Lundblad.
Today, she is halfway through her education and looks forward to contributing to the development of fisheries in Greenland. Her dream as a graduate fisheries engineer is to work as a bridge builder who can help create a sustainable and future-proof fishing industry in Greenland.
“Many of the biologists and managers working in Greenland do not speak Greenlandic. This makes it difficult for them to explain complex biological and management processes in a way that fishermen can understand. This can lead to misunderstandings and a lack of cooperation between fishermen and the authorities that regulate fisheries,” says Gia Kleist-Lundblad and continues:
“For me, sustainability is not only about protecting fish stocks, but also about ensuring that fishermen can continue to fish in a way that is economically and environmentally responsible.”
