6-day fuel run to Greenland delays Nunavut test fishery

An exploratory fishing vessel studying future commercial fisheries in the High Arctic made a six-day detour to Greenland after the Nunavut government refused to allow it to refuel in Nunavut.

That had Phillip Kalluk, mayor of Arctic Bay, Nunavut, upset.

We cannot understand why the government would not support our 100% Nunavut owned vessel, he said in a news release, noting that seven foreign-owned yachts had already purchased fuel in the community this summer.

The delay meant the Kiviuq Iwas unable to reach Resolute where it had planned to drop supplies and conduct an exploratory fishery. The vessel wasalso planning to conduct an exploratory fishery in Arctic Bay, then take local people on a muskox hunting expedition. That was also cancelled.

The Arctic FisheryAlliance is a consortium of local hunters and trappers organizations in Arctic Bay, Resolute, Grise Fiord and Qikiqtarjuaq, all of which hold quota for shrimp and turbot in Nunavuts offshore waters. Its also working to develop inshore fisheries that could create jobs and industry closer to Nunavuts High Arctic communities.

This summer, the AFA was looking for shrimp and whelk, a type of sea snail, near Ellesmere Island using the Kiviuq I and had already had some success near Grise Fiord.

A written statement from the Nunavut government confirms the AFA had requested fuel be delivered to the old port atNanisivik, the now-defunct mining town and site of Stephen Harpersunrealized High Arctic naval facility, which is now expected to open in 2017. Nanisivik is only 19 kilometres east of Arctic Bay, which has no docking facilities.

However, the GN's Petroleum Products Division says it was too dangerous to deliver fuel to Nanisivik because the road is no longer maintained.

The government also said they wanted to make sure Arctic Bay had sufficient fuel for the winter.

That forced the Kiviuq I to cross the Davis Strait to Greenland, whose well-developed fishery has equipped each community with fuel and docking stations.

I am very upset with our treatment by the Petroleum Products Division because they cost us the opportunity to look for shrimp, Greenland halibut (turbot) and other fish resources like we found off Grise Fiord, said AFA board member Jaypetee Akeeagok in a news release.

It is simply not fair."