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Greenland opens new Pilivik National Park

Rosamaria Kubny 23. September 2026 | Arctic, Greenland

Musk oxen in Greenland’s barren tundra landscape. These hardy herbivores are among the characteristic inhabitants of the Arctic regions and form part of the diverse wildlife whose habitats are to be protected in the new Greenlandic national park. (Photo: PolarJournal)

Greenland has opened Pilivik National Park in West Greenland. The protected area, which covers more than 22,000 square kilometres between Kangerlussuaq and Disko Bay, is intended to preserve Arctic landscapes and wildlife, though traditional hunting and fishing will still be permitted.

The new national park was officially inaugurated on 14 September 2026 at the Rensdyr Glacier near Kangerlussuaq. Covering 22,249.8 square kilometres, it is about half the size of Switzerland. It is Greenland’s first new national park in more than 50 years and the first to have been developed by the country itself.

The name Pilivik refers to the area’s traditional significance as a kind of ‘pantry’. Reindeer and musk oxen have been hunted here for generations, and char have been caught here too.

The autumn-coloured tundra forms a striking contrast to the mighty icebergs off the Greenlandic coast. The landscape conveys a sense of the Arctic wilderness that is to be protected within the new Greenlandic national park. (Photo: Rosamaria Kubny)

Conservation and traditional use

Pilivik is intended to combine nature conservation with traditional use. Hunting, fishing and berry-picking remain permitted in principle. In certain areas, special protection measures apply from time to time for vulnerable animal species.

The idea for the park arose in 2020 on the initiative of the municipalities of Qeqertalik and Qeqqata, as well as the Wild Nature Foundation. The local population was involved in the planning process.

A Greenlandic fishing boat sails through Disko Bay on Greenland’s west coast, which is characterised by massive icebergs. Fishing and the traditional use of coastal waters remain important aspects of life in the region. (Photo: Rosamaria Kubny)

As well as protecting the landscape, Pilivik is also intended to create opportunities for sustainable tourism and research. In doing so, Greenland is pursuing a unique approach: nature is protected without abandoning the traditional use of a landscape that has been of great importance to the region’s people for generations.

Rosamaria Kubny, PolarJournal

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