Strong Investments for Nunavut's Fishing Industry

September 11, 2009

Iqaluit, Nunavut - The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), together with the Honourable Daniel Shewchuk, Nunavut's Minister of Environment, today announced important projects to strengthen Nunavut's fishing industry.

“The waters of Nunavut have helped sustain the families and communities of this land for thousands of years. The ocean plays a major cultural, social and economic role for Nunavummiut,” said Minister Strahl, who is also Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor of Metis and Non-Status Indians. “These projects will help Nunavut's fishing industry to grow in a sustainable manner.”

“We are excited by the opportunities that this federal funding opens up for Nunavummiut,” said Minister Shewchuk. “With it, we will be able to increase our current research and training activities, both inshore and offshore, to strengthen our fishery and we look forward to continuing these projects in future.”

This joint investment between the federal and territorial governments is more than $1.5 million and will be spread over two years. It will support knowledge and capacity building in Nunavut's fishing industry. The Government of Nunavut's Department of Environment, Fisheries and Sealing Division, is managing the projects. It is receiving approximately $620,000 from the Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) for two projects aimed at strengthening and diversifying the Cumberland Sound inshore fishery. Funding provided by the Government of Canada will also support training in small vessel operation.

An additional $60,000 investment is being made through the recently-renewed Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED) program. This project will bolster the on-going multi-species stock assessment taking place in the waters of the Hudson Strait.

SINED and CAF are administered by CanNor, a newly established agency responsible for coordinating and delivering federal economic development activities at the regional level in the North, and for policy, research and advocacy.

This announcement reinforces the Government of Canada's work to advance an integrated Northern Strategy to exercise Canada's Arctic sovereignty, protect the North's environmental heritage, promote social and economic development and improve and devolve northern governance.


Investments in Nunavut's Inshore and Offshore Fishery

In the North, the Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) and the Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED) initiative are programs administered by the newly-created Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor).

These three projects are aimed at building knowledge and capacity within Nunavut's fishing industry, as well as diversifying this sector of the economy.


Vessel Crew Support Project

Project total: approximately $200,000 over two years
CanNor funding: approximately $140,000 over two years
Research and training have been identified as top priorities to help Nunavut’s inshore fishery grow and become more sustainable into the future. This project will provide hands-on training and on-the-water experience to local fishers and tourism operators aboard the Nunavut Department of Environment’s 27 foot research vessel. For the 2009 and 2010 fishing seasons, the vessel will be located in the Cumberland Sound near the community of Pangnirtung. It will serve as a logistical platform for a number of projects in the area, including training for small vessel operators in the community of Pangnirtung as well as operational support for a number of research projects. Several organizations are contributing to this project, including the Nunavut Fisheries Training Consortium, the Government of Nunavut, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Pangnirtung Fisheries Ltd.


Cumberland Sound Inshore Summer Fishery Development Project

Project total: approximately $750,000 over two years
CanNor funding: approximately $480,000 over two years
Diversifying Nunavut’s inshore fishery is important to maintain its sustainability. In an effort to build on the success of the well-established winter turbot fishery, this two-year project will evaluate potential for a summer turbot fishery in the Cumberland Sound. As part of this project, a fishing survey will be completed in conjunction with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to identify commercial turbot concentrations in the area during summer months. Research will also be done to determine the best vessel size for such a fishery. The Government of Nunavut, Kakivak Association and Pangnirtung Fisheries Ltd. are also contributing to this project.


2009 Multi Species Stock Assessment Project

Project total: approximately $588,000
CanNor funding: approximately $60,000
This multi-partnered project builds on the success of previous surveys conducted in Hudson Strait. Work will include surveying stocks in an important offshore shrimp fishing area. Fish stocks in the western portion of Hudson Strait will also be surveyed for the first time since the 1980s, with the goal of identifying important fishing areas adjacent to Nunavut and Nunavik. Surveys will also be conducted on Greenland halibut. These activities are essential to the proper assessment and management of the fisheries by regulatory bodies. The Government of Nunavut, Baffin Fisheries Coalition, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and the Makivik Corporation of Nunavik are also contributing to this project.


Supporting Industry, Supporting Canada's Economy

CAF was designed to assist communities, particularly those with a reliance on resource-based industries and the manufacturing sector, to maintain employment and to adjust and restructure their economy. Many projects funded under CAF build on partnership arrangements already in place, and provide a legacy of longer-term ecological and/or economic benefits.

Canada's Economic Action Plan provides $1 billion over two years under CAF to address the short-term economic needs of Canadian communities impacted by the global recession. CAF is delivered by CanNor in the three northern territories, and by the other federal economic development agencies in the provinces.

SINED is a five-year initiative specifically for the North that was renewed as part of Budget 2009. It consists of a series of programs aimed at promoting economic development of the North, strengthening territories' economies and generating important economic opportunities for Northerners, their businesses and their communities. SINED is delivered by CanNor in all three northern territories.