Federal fisheries minister decides that fish stocks in Nunavutbe givento non-Inuit group

After being ordered by the Federal Court to review its decision to give away fish quotas off the coast of Nunavut to a non-Inuit consortium, the federal Liberals took 18 months and is now making the same decision. “The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) is extremely disappointed in the analysis and recommendations shared by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO),” said a statement from QIA on Tuesday. “For decades, QIA and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) have sought to address systemic Inuit exclusion from commercial fishing opportunities in Nunavut adjacent waters.” The QIA and NTI were hoping for a different outcome after a judicial review ruled that Canada didn’t consider several issues when it decided to give away the fish stocks. In 2021, the DFO received a request from Clearwater Seafoods, which was in the process of being sold to FNC Quota – a consortium of seven Mi’kmaq communities in Nova Scotia – and Premium Brands (PB), a company in British Columbia. Clearwater wanted then minister Bernadette Jordan to transfer quota stocks to the new company which had bought Clearwater for $1 billion. The deal included the transfer of the lucrative fishing licences it held in Nunavut to FNC Quota. Jordan approved the transfer. But the QIA and NTI, two organizations that ensure the treaty rights of Inuit are protected, asked the Federal Court for a judicial review of the minister’s decision claiming the minister didn’t consider Article 15 of the Nunavut Agreement, a treaty signed by Canada and Nunavummiut in 1993. Article 15 requires “special consideration be given to the principle of adjacency and the economic dependence of communities in Nunavut when allocating commercial fishing licences within Baffin Bay and Davis Strait.” In his April 26, 2024 ruling, Justice Paul Favel agreed, in part, with QIA and NTI, saying the minister “failed to give special consideration to the principle of economic dependence of Nunavut communities on marine resources, despite the significant annual landed value of the Greenland halibut and Northern shrimp fisheries.” “This landed value is significant in the context of the smaller Nunavut economy relative to the economies of other provinces.” That ruling sent DFO back to review the decision. Eighteen months later, the Minister Joanne Thompson didn’t change the department’s position. “Based on the Department’s preliminary analysis, the proposed course of action is to reissue the licences and allocations to FNC Quota,” a statement from DFO said.  “While the redetermination process is ongoing, the three affected fishing licences remain valid under the name of FNC Quota. They can be fished in accordance with their terms, including their expiry dates, until the Minister makes her final decision on the redetermination process. “This approach provides continued stability and certainty for industry and licence holders. The QIA chastised DFO for its decision. “Rather than chart a path toward equity, DFO’s latest recommendations simply maintain the status quo – allowing access to commercial fisheries to remain in non-Nunavut control and undercutting Nunavut’s economy and Inuit economic well-being for yet another generation,” the QIA statement said. QIA President Olayuk Akesuk added: “This leaves Inuit to wonder how Ottawa can claim to be implementing reconciliation while ensuring that the wealth from Inuit waters continues to flow south. Inuit access to the commercial fishery still significantly trails the access enjoyed by southern jurisdictions – this has tangible impacts on Inuit and Nunavut’s economy and undermines Canadian security in the arctic. The QIA said that while Prime Minister Mark Carney “speaks of nation-building through Indigenous partnership” this does the opposite and “erodes trust, ignores the law, and entrenches inequality for another generation of Inuit.” Read More:  Inuit seek ‘fisheries reconciliation’ after Federal Court strikes down ministerial decision The disputed licensing area is off the coast of Baffin Island. In the world of commercial fishing in Canada, all the waters off the three coasts are broken into “zones.” Off the eastern coast of Nunavut are Zone I and Zone ll which contain Zones 0A, 0B, 1A, 1B down to 1F. The zones are in the waters of the Davis Strait, a part of the North Atlantic Ocean that runs north along the Labrador coast before being sandwiched between Nunavut and Greenland and into Baffin Bay. What that means is, companies that work for FNC Quota, will be able to sail into waters adjacent to Nunavut, and fish the stocks there. Parties have until Jan. 9 to reply to the ruling. Continue Reading