Iqaluit (Feb 13/06) - There's some serious talk going on about forming a commercial fishing alliance between several East Baffin communities to give the competing interests a run for their money.

Clyde River councillor Nick Illauq says the fishing interests in Pangnirtung, Qikiqtarjuaq and Clyde River are on board the alliance idea, while Iqaluit and Pond Inlet have shown interest, but remain undecided.

Illauq is not swayed by one community's indecision. "I think I can get Pond."

He didn't elaborate on Iqaluit, saying the city's hunters and trappers association just went through a management overhaul after the elections this past December.

Illauq says the alliance would put the communities on a level playing field to compete for quota against the front-runner of the Nunavut fishing industry - the Baffin Fisheries Coalition.

By combining their effort, the communities would be a stronger force to lobby the government, while ending the competition for small pieces of quota.

"The idea is to get a big chunk of the quota and split it up between each other," says Illauq.

For this to take place, Clyde River would have to break away from the BFC.

Cumberland Sound Fisheries in Pangnirtung is a community-owned company which holds 49 per cent ownership of Pangnirtung Fisheries Ltd.

It split from the BFC more than a year ago. Joopa Sowdluapik, chair of Cumberland Sound, is in favour of the alliance.

So is Sam Nuqingaq, secretary-treasurer of the Nattivak Hunters and Trappers Organization in Qikiqtarjuaq.

That HTO split from the BFC January 2005 and formed an independent fishing company named Masiliit.

These three community representatives are backed by Nunavut senator Willie Adams, who has years of fighting for Inuit fishing interests under his belt.

Illauq says the three communities have wanted to meet about the alliance since Christmas, but haven't been able to make it happen. He can't say when the alliance will be formed. "These things take time."