It takes a little longer to be 'open, transparent and accountable' says NWMB

Delays in allocating turbot quota are threatening the chances for four northern Nunavut communities to break into the commercial turbot fishery.

The Arctic Fishery Alliance is "in a catch-22 position," Jaypetee Akeeagok told Nunatsiaq News.

"To be more self reliant, we have to purchase assets," he said, referring to the three 100-foot fishing vessels the alliance has included in its business plan.

But before either the Nunavut government or Aboriginal Business Canada will release funding for the boats, they want to see proof the alliance has fishing quota. And at the same time, he added, "in order to get quota, we have to show we have approval for our funding."

No quota, no funding. No funding, no quota.

Akeeagok is the chair of the HTA in Grise Fiord, and a director of AFA. HTAs from the Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay and Arctic Bay and the North Baffin community of Qikiqtarjuaq came together to form the alliance.

The AFA has responded at length to concerns raised by the NWMB's Fishery Advisory Committee, and AFA chair Lootie Toomasie said "there should now not be any legitimate reason for the FAC to recommend against its request" for the turbot quota.

But the whole decision-making process for the quota has been so delayed that alliance members now fear they will have difficulty getting up and running for this fishing season.

"What concerns me most now is how long this process is taking, and the negative impact this is going to have on our ability to have a successful start-up to our fishery operation," Toomasie said in a press release.

"While we try to establish employment and economic opportunities for our communities," he said, "the same agencies that are supposed to help us are denying us quota and the opportunity to improve our situation. They are even accusing us of being too ambitious," he added.

The AFA applied to the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board for 2,500 metric tonnes of turbot quota in the OA management division in upper Baffin Bay, and 1,000 metric tonnes in the OB division in lower Baffin Bay.

Other parties seeking a share of turbot quota in the same areas include the Baffin Fisheries Coalition, Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, and a coalition of Pangnirtung Fisheries, Nunavut Development Corporation and Cumberland Sound Fisheries.

The Fishery Advisory Committee originally put out a request for submissions last June, to be submitted by August. It later revised the deadline to Sept. 30. The AFA complained that it did not receive a preliminary response from the FAC until Dec. 18, asking the alliance to respond to concerns by this Jan. 26.

In its preliminary response the FAC recommended no quota for the AFA, but asked for further information, which the alliance has now provided.

The FAC is meeting next week to consider the responses, but its recommendations must then go before the NWMB, which will make final recommendations to the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans for acceptance.

"Do they not understand we are trying to establish a successful commercial fishery operation with fishing due to begin at the end of April?" Toomasie said in the AFA's press statement.

Jim Noble, the NWMB's chief operating officer, told Nunatsiaq News the FAC and the wildlife board are "well aware of the problems related to funding the boats, and we are hoping the quota issue will be settled quickly."

But he said the delays are not just his organization's fault. "We're partly to blame, but they are partly to blame too," he said, referring to the fishing industry.

He said the board is following a process designed in cooperation with industry representatives to be "open, transparent and accountable."

This is the first year of attempting to follow the process. "It's the year to iron out the wrinkles," he said.

Harry Earle, a Newfoundland-based consultant who is helping the alliance get launched, said the NWMB has established a good system, but suggested it could have done better planning.

On paper at least, "it's way better than down here (in Atlantic Canada)," he said, where to get quota you have to lobby the minister. "But in the end, it may come down to the same thing."

Meanwhile, Akeeagok said a successful turbot fishery is of vital importance to the High Arctic communities, which he described as "have-not communities" – especially Grise Fiord, with a population of about 140.

"The perfect thing about turbot is that it's a renewable resource," he said.