Baffin Fisheries Coalition leaves Nunavut's offshore fishing association over shrimp quotas

It's been a tumultuous month for Nunavut's fisheries, with two of the largest companies butting heads over shrimp quotas.

Now the Baffin Fisheries Coalition, the largest harvester of shrimp in Canada's North, is leaving the Nunavut Offshore Allocation Holders Association — the organization that represents the territory's offshore fishing industry.

"I wish them good luck, but I think we can have more of a voice without them," said Methuselah Kunuk, vice-president of the Baffin Fisheries Coalition.

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The problems stem from a July 19 decision made by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB).

The Baffin Fisheries Coalition used to have 100 per cent of the shrimp stock in the Nunavut Settlement Area, but now the management board has followed recommendations made by the minister of Fisheries and Oceans and divided the quota — giving the Baffin Fisheries Coalition 70 per cent, and Qikiqtaaluk Corporation 30 per cent — for the next two years. 

The decision has yet to be finalized, but it's a change from the NWMB's previous recommendation to the minister to maintain status quo, with the Baffin Fisheries Coalition continuing to get 100 per cent of the shrimp quota.

The Baffin Fisheries Coalition claims that the NWMB decision was changed by the former minister of Fisheries, Hunter Tootoo, following aggressive lobbying by Qikiqtaaluk Corporation.

Meeting called

The Baffin Fisheries Coalition is upset about the quota reduction. It called a meeting last week of the Nunavut Offshore Allocation Holders Association (NOAHA) to try to get the organization to write a letter to both the NWMB and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to reverse the decision.

The meeting did not go as planned. 

"We were not able to agree because some members of NOAHA are benefiting from our reduction so it was sort of going nowhere," said Kunuk.

Kunuk said he even put forward a motion to remove the NOAHA chair, Jerry Ward, who is also the director of fisheries with Qikiqtaaluk Corporation. The motion was not seconded.  

One fishery's loss is another's gain

Meanwhile, Qikiqtaaluk Corporation is celebrating the new shrimp allocation, saying it will help them offset the decrease they're facing in the south.

"I'm very happy that we were able to at least get 30 per cent of the quota for the Nunavut settlement area," said Harry Flaherty, Qikiqtaaluk Corporation's president.

Flaherty pointed out that when Baffin Fisheries received 100 per cent of the shrimp quota in 2014, it was stipulated that it would only be for a two-year period.

"After those two years those areas are going to have to be revisited to give the other Northern stakeholders an opportunity to harvest some of that quota," said Flaherty.

But he admits that Baffin Fisheries walking away from the Nunavut Offshore Allocation Holders Association is bad news for the territory's fisheries.

"It's unfortunate. I feel bad, we still need to be united in moving forward in the best interest of Nunavummiut," Flaherty said.

The official decision on Nunavut shrimp allocation is expected within the next month. The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board says it will not comment on the matter until that time.