Nunavut minister says feds need to do their research after significant cuts to turbot quotas

Nunavut's economic development minister says the federal government's failure to keep up with research on turbot led to a significant cut to how much the territory's fisheries can catch.

Earlier in February, the federal government announced it would be cutting turbot quotas in the waters off Nunavut's shores by just over nine per cent, equivalent to about 16.5 tonnes of fish. That's partly because the status of turbot — also known as Greenland halibut — is uncertain, since Fisheries and Oceans Canada hasn't been able to study turbot populations since 2017.

The decision, which affects the upcoming season, is expected to have a $13-million impact on the territory's fishing industry, according to the Nunavut Fisheries Association.

"We were very disappointed when we heard that the turbot is being cut," said David Akeeagok, Nunavut's minister of Economic Development and Transportation, in the Legislative Assembly on Friday.

"We're going to continue to advocate for the federal government to do their job ... Not having [that] research is hindering our growth and that's very disappointing."

Gabriel Nirlungayuq, the regional director for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Nunavut, told CBC the decision was based on advice from the scientific council for the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization.

That advice noted the stock of turbot isn't expected to have changed since 2017, when it was last studied, but the lack of data means they can't be certain.

Nirlungayuq said the reason it hasn't been studied since then is because that research — a partnership between Canada and Greenland — is done by a Greenland vessel that retired in 2018. There was supposed to be a replacement vessel, but it was delayed.

He described the scientific council's approach as a "precautionary" one.

Derek Butler, the executive director for the Nunavut Fisheries Association, said Fisheries and Oceans knew in advance that the old Greenland vessel was aging.

He said the association had also floated the suggestion in 2020 for the industry to work with the federal department to get the survey done.

"I guess it's mismanagement of a sort, because the obligation is on the department to do the science required," he said.

Butler said his association agrees with the scientific council: they don't think the fish stock has changed.

"We don't think the stock status has changed a great deal, despite increased fishing," he said.

"We feel that the resource remains strong enough to have supported less of a cut than what [Fisheries and Oceans] has undertaken."

Butler said his organization also suggested that the cut be distributed in a different way across the different fishing zones, so Inuit companies in Nunavut could have a larger share of the remaining quota. That suggestion was rejected, he said.

He described the economic impact as a "significant loss," given the fisheries bring about $120 million in value to Nunavut.

Nirlungayuq said a replacement vessel is now online and surveys have resumed. While they've already made the decision to cut quotas for this year, there should be an update before the 2024 fishing season.

"We're anticipating those new results in the coming months," he said.

"It will have to be analyzed and we're anticipating a new total allowable catch when the new fishing season opens."