Iqaluit, NU (Apr 07/03) - A huge increase in the turbot fishery quota could bring millions a year into the Nunavut economy. Ottawa is expected to announce the increase shortly.

The landed value of turbot and shrimp in Nunavut-adjacent waters is estimated at $100 million a year. - photo courtesy of the Government of Nunavut

That could see the turbot catch in northern Davis Straight and Baffin Bay (area 0A) double to about 8,000 tonnes a year.

What isn't known is how much of the added quota will go to Greenland, and how much to Nunavut.

Jerry Ward, chief executive officer of the Baffin Fisheries Coalition in Iqaluit, is waiting by the phone to see which way it goes.

The coalition also wants to get on with planning for the summer season.

The group contracts Southern-owned boats on a royalty basis and many are already making plans for the season, said Ward.

"It is terrible -- we thought we would have heard by now.

"We are sitting on the fence waiting."

A 4,000 tonne quota increase in the area has already been recommended by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO).

NAFO's science council makes that call based on what the resource can sustain.

NAFO does not make the decision on how the quota is divided between Canada and Greenland.

Ward believes most of the added quota should go to Nunavut.

Nunavut owns 100 per cent of the existing 4,000 tonne turbot quota in area 0-A, but falls short elsewhere in its adjacent waters, he said.

"In area 0B (southern Davis Straight) our share of the turbot quota in our adjacent waters is just 27 per cent.

"That's sad and we aren't prepared to settle for that."

GN lobbying Ottawa

The Government of Nunavut's department of sustainable development has been lobbying actively to keep the added catch in Canada.

"We have recommended the majority of this increase go to Nunavut," said Carey Bonnell, fisheries manager for the DSD.

About two-thirds of the turbot resource in area 0A is on the Canadian side of Davis Straight.

As well, the quota increase recommended by NAFO is based on Canadian-funded research in the area between 1999 and 2001, he said.

"This is also an industry that we have been developing for several years.

"We did our first test fishery in area 0A back in 1993. There has been very little activity on the Greenland side until only recently."

A larger share of both the turbot and shrimp fishery is seen as essential for the growth of the industry in the territory.

The current quota isn't large enough to justify investment in vessels or added processing capacity, said Bonnell.

Pangnitung Fisheries, the territory's only processing plant, employs 50 people year-round. The plant processes about one million pounds of turbot a year and has expanded in each of the past three years.

General manager Michael Nowinski said the firm needs "more fish" to continue to grow.

He too thinks Nunavut should have a larger share of the turbot resource in its adjacent waters.

Need fair shake

Bonnell points to "glaring inequities" in the division of both the turbot and shrimp catches.

The value of the turbot and shrimp fishery in Nunavut-adjacent waters is estimated at about $100 million a year.

Nunavut's overall share of the turbot fishery is 58 per cent. For shrimp it is just 25 per cent.

Canadian allocations in Southern jurisdictions range between 80 and 95 per cent.

"Right now, we aren't getting fair treatment comparable to the quota shares in the rest of Atlantic Canada," said Bonnell.

"Our position to the federal government is that we want nothing less than other jurisdictions."

Ottawa is also expected to announce a 17 per cent quota increase for shrimp in area 0A, to 14,000 tonnes a year. Nunavut currently has only nine per cent of the shrimp allocation in the area.

The GN is also lobbying the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for increased research funding. Bonnell said the territory isn't getting the support needed from the DFO to adequately develop the industry.

"We have gone 20 or 30 years without any research at all on shrimp in our adjacent waters.

"The potential for fisheries in Nunavut is tremendous.

But without adequate scientific research it is going to be very difficult to develop."