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A boost to Pangnirtung's summer turbot fishery Multipurpose vessel allows for bigger haul and safer working conditions
Myles Dolphin
Northern News Services
Published Saturday, June 9, 2013
PANNIQTUUQ/PANGNIRTUNG
A Pangnirtung resident has big plans for the fishing vessel he is acquiring this summer.
The solid line shows the current Cumberland Sound Turbot Management Area boundary while the smaller dotted line is the proposed boundary by the Pangnirtung Hunters and Trappers Organization. - photo courtesy of Nunavut Wildlife Management Board
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Peter Kilabuk, who operates the first privately-owned inshore turbot company, is excited about heading to Newfoundland in July to pick up his multi-purpose boat, which will allow him and his crew to access significantly more inshore summer turbot.
The 39-foot boat, similar to a Cape Breton lobster fishing vessel, has an open deck and sleeping quarters for four people, and is capable of holding between 5,443 and 6,350 kilograms of turbot.
Kilabuk said after fishing in the Cumberland Sound waterway with smaller vessels, he wanted to see if he could do something on a bigger scale.
"The other vessel we were fishing from was a 27-footer and because of its size, there was very little space on board for extra gear and longer lines," he said. "With the new vessel we'll have adequate working space to undertake long-lining fishing activities in Cumberland Sound. We'll be able to work in rougher waters and provide safer working conditions, too."
The Pangnirtung Hunters and Trappers Organization (PHTO) has an inshore quota of 500 metric tonnes within Cumberland Sound, but only 40 tonnes of turbot were harvested in 2008.
Kilabuk said the low number can be attributed to a lack of infrastructure and fishing vessels capable of fishing in the waterway.
He hopes to bring a few crew members with him to Newfoundland so they can get acquainted with the boat on their way back up to Pangnirtung, a two-week trip if they don't run into too much ice.
Kilabuk likely won't be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor until next summer, given the adjustment period him and his crew have to go through beforehand.
"We'll get started at the end of August or beginning of September because we want to make sure that we are familiarized and fully-equipped to undertake our fishing activities," he said. "We probably won't see the numbers we'd like to see until next year."
Kilabuk was inspired by his late father, also a commercial fisherman, when it came to finding a name for his boat.
"It's called Pijiuja II because my father used to have a whaling boat when I was a kid which unfortunately got destroyed during a storm," he said.
The PHTO is working towards extending the Cumberland Sound Turbot Management Area (CSTMA) boundary line, currently set at 18 kilometres from shore, to include all of Cumberland Sound.
Kilabuk said the turbot he fishes for migrates passed the current boundary in the winter and it is time for the line to be moved.
"Now with interest, training and activities, there is recognition that the boundary line needs to be moved and the community has made their voice heard through the HTO," he said.
The organization has outlined three other main reasons for moving the boundary: it will not negatively impact on conservation; the current fishery is developing and growing; and similar boundaries have been implemented in other jurisdictions.
Jim Noble, executive director for the NWMB, said the issue will be discussed at a meeting in Rankin Inlet on June 11.
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