IKPIARJUK/ARCTIC BAY
Arctic Bay's mayor and other representatives of the Arctic Fishery Alliance are upset that the Government of Nunavut refused to help their vessel, Kiviuq I, refuel from government fuel tanks or a refuelling tanker in the water off Arctic Bay.

Arctic Fishery Alliance representatives are upset they had to abandon an exploratory fishery in Arctic Bay and Resolute Bay because their vessel Kiviuq I had to refuel in Greenland. Arctic Bay's mayor questions why the vessel couldn't fuel up from the tanker in the background of this photo. - photo courtesy of Mark Akeeagok

Instead, Kiviuq I had to sail to Greenland and abandon an exploratory fishery the fishery alliance hoped would be as successful as in Grise Fiord, where promising amounts of shrimp and whelks were found last month.

"The vessel was forced to steam for six days to Greenland to get fuel because our government would not agree to allow the vessel to be fuelled here," Mayor Phillip Kalluk stated in a news release. "We cannot understand why the government would not support our 100 per cent Nunavut-owned vessel?"

Arctic Bay is one of four communities in the alliance with Grise Fiord, Resolute and Qikiqtarjuaq. Due to the ice conditions as the vessel prepared to head to the region, planned exploratory fisheries in Arctic Bay and Resolute were abandoned, as was a muskox hunting trip to Devon Island, and a drop-off of goods in Resolute.

Kalluk questioned why the Petroleum Products Division of the Department of Community and Government Services would not allow the refuelling in town, at Nanisivik or from the barge in the bay.

"When I asked why I was told they did not want to short the community," Kalluk said. "In August, seven foreign-owned yachts received fuel in Arctic Bay, but our vessel, which is Nunavut-owned and operated and registered in Canada could not receive fuel so it could help our communities. In fact, I was told by a government official to send our vessel to Greenland. This is hard to believe and accept."

Arctic Fishery Alliance director and Iviq Hunters and Trappers Organization chairperson Jaypetee Akeeagok said it is "sad" to see the lack of support.

"My community is very excited about our results but our friends in Resolute and Arctic Bay have been denied this possibility," Akeeagok stated. "It is simply not fair. Our partnership has worked very hard to try to provide benefits to our communities from the commercial fishery and we cannot understand why our government in Iqaluit is not providing us with more help. We are in a difficult situation and they make it harder for us to achieve some positive results."

Responding on behalf of the Petroleum Products Division, communications officer Hillary Casey said vessels are well aware of their inability to refuel in Arctic Bay.

"There is no docking facility in Arctic Bay, and (the) Petroleum Products Division is not equipped to fuel large vessels at sea," Casey stated by e-mail. "Refuelling in Greenland has been a common practice for many years."

In theory, the vessel would have been able to refuel at Nanisivik, Casey said, but the road conditions made it unsafe for the fuel truck to reach the port.

"We also advised the vessel operator that we do not refuel large vessels at sea because of the risks associated with this work. Safety must be paramount."

She also disputed a figure in the Arctic Fishery Alliance release, which stated that the hamlet had seven million litres of fuel available at the time of the vessel's refuelling request. She said only 2.87 million litres of Arctic Bay's tank farm is reserved for diesel, and the refuelling of large vessels puts a strain on the hamlet's annual fuel reserves.

"This puts communities at risk of having a shortfall in fuel supply," she said. "Our priority is delivering fuel to the communities."

The vessel could have made arrangements to refuel with the tanker barge that was within viewing distance, she noted.

"These arrangements are made directly between vessel operators and tanker operators, not through (the Petroleum Products Division)," Casey said.