Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (May 27/02) - Christmas came early this year for Peter Keenainak and the Baffin Fisheries Coalition.

Arriving in the form of 4,000 tonnes of turbot, allocated solely to Nunavut, the gift is one that will keep on giving.

"Everything should be a go to start fishing by mid-July," said Keenainak, the chair of the coalition.

Keenainak was waiting for federal Fisheries Minister Robert Thibault to announce this year's quota for the exploratory fishing the coalition wants to conduct in the zone known as OA.

To take place in Davis Strait and Baffin Bay, the fishing will be managed by the coalition but conducted by companies which hail primarily from Newfoundland.

Thibault's announcement last Wednesday means Keenainak and the coalition's executive can finalize negotiations with their joint venture partners and begin to allocate the resource to the fishers.

"We should be doing that within the next two weeks," he said.

This means the season will get underway quickly, giving fishers the coalition hires the opportunity to harvest the full amount. Last year's short season, caused by bureaucratic delays, meant they harvested 2,452 tonnes of the 4,000-tonne quota.

The catch was enough however, to demonstrate to the country the feasibility of the industry. That, combined with the ability to fish through the entire season, attracted more interest from Southern boat owners, meaning the fleet is larger and more diversified this year.

"This includes smaller boats to the bigger factory freezer trawlers," said Keenainak.

A successful season will mean the coalition has more chance of success with their future plans, some of which include purchasing a vessel, training initiatives and building up the inshore fishery along the east coast of Baffin Island.

The coalition was formed last year to help build up the new fishery. Members include hunters and trappers associations from Pond Inlet, Clyde River, Qikiqtarjuaq, Panniqtuuq, Iqaluit and Kimmirut, as well as Cumberland Sound Fisheries, Pangnirtung Fisheries, Aqviq Marine, Kabva Marine and the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation.