Canada's Federal Court strikes down decision to open fishing licenses to non-Inuit operations
At issue fishing off the east of Baffin Island. In 2021, then Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan reissued fishing licences there for Greenland halibut and shrimp. They went up for grabs when Clearwater Foods were sold to a coalition of Migmar First Nations, which owns 50% of the southern based company Nunavut. Nuh could have had the opportunity to acquire those licenses, but that didn’t happen. NTI and QIA took the government to court, arguing the minister’s decision goes against Article 15 of the Nunavut agreement. That promises Universe Inuit special consideration for marine resources in their adjacent waters in a ruling on April 26th. Just as poor, Favell said that special consideration didn’t happen when issuing the licenses. In a release, QIA says licenses have primarily benefited southern based economies. Despite the terms of the Nunavut agreement, current fishing licenses will remain until the Minister for Fisheries and Oceans gives their response. Samuel Watt, CBC News. Ikanow Eat.