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Nunavut - The Arctic Fishery Alliance is appealing a preliminary decision rejecting its quota request for turbot.

This fall, the group announced its plan to develop a fishing enterprise among its partnering communities of Resolute, Grise Fiord, Arctic Bay and Qikiqtarjuaq, requesting a substantial portion of this year's turbot quota.

But an advisory committee to the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board has rejected the quota request in its preliminary recommendation, giving the alliance until Jan. 26 to make an appeal.

"That was very, very disappointing, especially for the four communities," said Resolute's economic development officer and HTO board member, Phillip Manik, last week. "Right now we're trying to appeal, but we haven't heard anything as yet."

The alliance had requested 2,500 metric tonnes out of a total allocation of 6,500 in zone 0A and 1,000 tonnes out of the total Nunavut quota of 1,500 in 0B.

Four other parties also requested quota this year including the Baffin Fisheries Coalition, Qikiqtaaluk Corporation and a joint submission by the Pangnirtung Fisheries, Nunavut Development Corporation and Cumberland Sound Fisheries.

All the requests have received the same response from the advisory committee, which has given each party a series of questions and concerns to address in their appeal.

Lootie Toomasie, president of the Nattivak Hunters and Trappers in Qikiqtarjuaq, would not comment on the preliminary decision or on the alliance's appeal at this time.

According to the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, the advisory committee could choose to amend its recommendation after the appeal process.

"There's been no decisions," said Jim Noble, the board's chief operating officer. "The committee can amend their recommendation if they get more information or clearer stuff.

"Then it goes from there back to the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and they make a final recommendation to the minister who makes the decision."