Maria Canton
Northern News Services

Pangnirtung (Nov 29/99) - Six small fishing boats motored in and out of Pangnirtung fiord recently using every minute of high tide to unload more than 220,000 kilograms of cargo destined for -- temporarily at least -- the freezers of Pangnirtung Fisheries.

Two weeks ago, people in the community that is home to both Pangnirtung Fisheries and Cumberland Sound Fisheries unloaded sea-frozen shrimp and turbot from the Acadienne Gale II, a 226-foot fishing vessel with an on-deck factory processing plant. The ship is owned by Halifax-based Davis Strait Fisheries Ltd. and was successfully completing her maiden voyage and harvest of shrimp and turbot from the waters off the east coast of Baffin Island.

As part of a joint-venture between the Qikiqtaaluk Corp., Cumberland Sound Fisheries and Davis Strait Fisheries Ltd., the recent discharge means plenty of work for the people of Pangnirtung.

"Along with boats doing the off-loading, we also had locals on board the vessel helping with that work for the first time," said Jacopee Maniapik, chairperson for Pangnirtung Fisheries and the secretary/treasurer for Cumberland Sound Fisheries.

"The community is very happy since we started working with Davis Strait; our quotas are higher, there are more jobs for longer periods of time and we have more fish."

Maniapik is speaking of the agreement that is now entering its fourth year and puts Northern shrimp and fish on the international market.

"The shrimp is selling very well in town right now and the turbot will be sold down south and abroad," Maniapik said.

"We have 48 workers in the plant now who help with getting the fish ready to sell."

Maniapik says since Davis Strait Fisheries Ltd. started fishing Cumberland Sound's quotas and unloading their catches at the local plant, it has become a mainstay of the community's economy.

Similarly, the president of Davis Strait Fisheries, Grant Stonehouse, says the agreement eliminates the days when there would be very little fish in the plant because of a poor season.

"Bringing the sea-frozen product into Pangnirtung turns the fishery into a year-round vibrant plant that also offers the locals an always viable place to sell their catch," said Stonehouse.

"It's quite a venture that we've put together with two well-organized Inuit groups -- QC and Cumberland Sound."

But there's more to it than just increased work for the community, there are also increased quotas.

The quotas are granted by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, and for the first time Cumberland Sound Fisheries was granted a quota of 150 metric tonnes of shrimp in the Nunavut Settlement Area.

"Last year, Cumberland Sound didn't have any shrimp quotas for the settlement area," said Michelle Wheatley, director for the NWMB.

"They applied for the quota and we reviewed it and granted it. We're interested in seeing an entire allocation harvested because it helps us in asking for greater quotas next year."

Additional quotas were also granted by way of extra days for exploratory fishing of turbot.

The unloading of the Acadienne Gale II, which has since steamed back to Bay Roberts, Nfld., is just another step in cementing the year-round success of the Pangnirtung fishing industry.