Iqaluit (June 23/03) - The government of Nunavut has had it with the shrimp quota.

After a cabinet strategy session, Premier Paul Okalik announced that it was time Nunavut took legal action against the federal government's recent decision to give almost half of the increase in the shrimp fishery in Nunavut to outside interests.

Nunavut's overall share of its adjacent Northern shrimp resource is now 19 per cent.

In other parts of Canada adjacent jurisdictions receive more than 80 per cent of the allowable catch.

"Access to our resource is key to achieving self reliance and making a contribution to Canada," Okalik said Friday in a press release.

Okalik, who is also justice minister, said Nunavut is applying for a judicial review of the shrimp ruling.

The report of the Independent Panel on Access Criteria said "no additional access should be granted to non-Nunavut interests in waters adjacent to the territory until Nunavut has achieved access to a major share of its adjacent fishery resources."

The government of Nunavut is also considering a separate civil action against the federal government based on a breach of contract.