Fishers caught in storm, many lose gear
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Pangnirtung (Mar 12/01) - Bridges of ice leading to prime fishing in Cumberland Sound were torn away late last month by a sudden windstorm.
The fierce storm, Feb. 22, left many turbot fishers struggling to get to shore.
Many also lost gear during the unexpected onslaught, which may affect this year's estimated turbot catch of 200,000 pounds.
"There is another area that we can fish in. It is just not as good, that's all," said fisher Joopa Sowdluapik, chair of Cumberland Sound Fisheries and secretary-treasurer for Pangnirtung Fisheries.
Sowdluapik was out on the ice the day the storm struck.
The day before, Sowdluapik, his 11-year-old son, and brother Stephen Nowdlak, drilled holes, snaked lines through the ice. The next day they got a radio call from an outpost camp about 10 miles north.
"He told me on the radio the winds were picking up really fast. By the time we were ready to move we couldn't see anything."
The group hurried to get Sowdluapik's wooden fishing hut and two qamutiqs off the ice using two snowmachines.
"After an hour we finally found land but were not sure where we were," Sowdluapik explained. "It was so windy we could barely stand."
Once on land the group dug holes in the ice and snow and strung rope over the hut. Sowdluapik was surprised the plywood structure held as they tried to sleep through the night.
"In the morning I kind of panicked," he said explaining it was then that the event really sunk in.
The winds were still gusting the next day but the snow had blown so Sowdluapik said could see what was around him.
"I got up on a hill and looked to the place we were before and there was nothing but white caps. The water was rough," he said. "There was no more ice."
The three walked to the outpost camp early that morning.
Sowdluapik said if his son had not been with him he might not have left the area when he did.
"I left my lines set. I had not time to pull them up and they are still set ... somewhere."
"Some people lost equipment, one guy lost a snow machine, others lost guns, fishing gear mostly," he said. "I think I was the luckiest one. That was too close for me."
The winds picked up again early last week and because ice slabs stuck to the shore were weakened by fighting winds, a group was set afloat.
"They were not really sure where they were but were in radio contact," Sowdluapik said. Eventually the group made their way home, too.
Ice fishers can usually fish until May. Now they are not so sure.
"Where it is safe they are going to keep trying for sure," Sowdluapik said.
"But it's going to be different now. I don't think it will get as safe as it was before the storm and we will have to watch what we are doing from now on."
