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Funding for fisheries training
Feds and territorial government team up to fund preparatory programJeanne Gagnon Northern News Services Published Friday, January 20, 2012
The federal and territorial governments will each provide about $2.2 million during the next three years to the Nunavut Fisheries Training Consortium for its pre-sea training program, announced in Iqaluit on Jan. 17 Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq and former territorial environment minister Daniel Shewchuk. The money will increase Inuit participation in the territory's fishing industry, said Aglukkaq. "The project … will help 120 Inuit increase their skills in Nunavut fishing industry and in turn, they will expand their job opportunities and their ability to get ahead in their own careers," she said. The 120 Inuit will be a combination of those new to the industry and those who want to further their training. The consortium, a non-profit organization, has trained Inuit beneficiaries since 2005 with courses typically lasting two to three weeks, said consortium chair Peter Keenainak. "Before we can hire any fisherman from anywhere in Canada, there are certain regulations we have to meet, like Transport Canada and Canadian Coast Guard requirement," he said. "Pre-sea training generally consists of marine emergency duties, which is a regulatory requirement and also we try to get orientation to any fisherman and what, sort of, the life is like onboard a fishing vessel, for example. It's really a preparatory program for fishermen." He added in the last two years, 30 per cent of course participants worked in Nunavut after their training. Nunavut's fishing industry, estimated to bring in between $35 million to $40 million, did well last year; all turbot quotas were met and more than 200,000 pounds (almost 91 metric tonnes) of Arctic char was fished, said former territorial environment minister Daniel Shewchuk.
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