Photos: Fishing is a growing business in Canada's Arctic
Ottawa and Nunavut see the potential in an emerging 'third coast' for commercial fishing
A view of the shoreline in Pangnirtung, Nunavut.Peter Christie/The Globe and Mail
A view of the shoreline in Pangnirtung, Nunavut.Peter Christie/The Globe and Mail
Pangnirtung Mayor Sakiasie Sowdlooapik says overcrowding is a major problem in the solitary hamlet, located in Baffin Island’s Cumberland Sound. But unlike other Northern communities, Pangnirtung is a key centre in the Arctic’s fast-emerging fishing industry.Peter Christie/The Globe and Mail
An Arctic canoe on a street in Pangnirtung, Nunavut.Peter Christie/The Globe and Mail
Wayne Lynch, the Nunavut Environment Department’s director of fisheries and sealing, is a lead author of the 2005 Nunavut Fisheries Strategy. He argues that the territory’s commercial fishing needs more investment and infrastructure to continue its growth.Peter Christie/The Globe and Mail
The Baffin Fisheries Coalition’s Oujukoaq, a factory-freezer vessel, has a carrying capacity of 170 tons and a freezing capacity of 20 tons per day. The BFC, in conjunction with other Nunavut stakeholders, works to ensure that the people of Nunavut have access to fishing in nearby waters. The coalition has transported 1,000 tonnes of H&G turbot to the plant in Pangnirtung for further processing.
Packages of turbot, ready for shipping.