Iqaluit HTA to discussion which sections of river will close

Iqaluit’s Amarok Hunters and Trappers Association will be holding a meeting before the ice breaks up to decide which sections of the Sylvia Grinnell River will be closed to boating and fishing.

Members decided at a meeting in December to close the river for five years to allow the number of fish to rise. The river was closed between 1982 and 1987, but the char stocks didn’t recover as expected.

David Ell, the president of the association, said the HTA is consulting with the department of fisheries and oceans to assist with the ongoing process of measuring fish stocks, population and size.

But the decision to close the river isn’t an easy one, as questions arise about the HTA’s authority to regulate non-HTA members’ activities, such as recreational boaters and tourism operators.

Membership in the Amarok HTA is open only to Iqaluit land claims beneficiaries.

As well as limiting fishing areas, the association wants to close the river to all boats, including jet boats. Ell said members feel that if one boat is allowed to operate in the river, others may eventually come to share the water and disturb the fish and their habitat.

The Frobisher Bay Kayak Club and local outfitter Glen Williams were vocal during initial discussions about closing the river in December. Both said their boats don’t disturb the fish.

Ell said the question of whether kayaks should be allowed to use the river would be addressed at the upcoming meeting.