This is the third part of a series of stories looking at Pangnirtung Fisheries and how it's helping the community by providing jobs and developing the economy.

"Pangnirtung Fisheries is an important industry to Nunavut, providing a valuable source of income for the community," said Nunavut MP Lori Idlout in a statement to Nunavut News. 鈥淭he fishery has an aging processing plant that needs infrastructure improvements, and we need to review the quotas to support the community.鈥�

Hamlet councillor Julai Alikatuktuk is the secretary/treasurer for the fishery and has been with the company since 2018. He serves many roles in the community, including running the fishing gear store in town, a recent development.

He also oversees Fishers Diversification Development Fundings, which he said is related to purchasing fishing gear.

"[Fishermen] apply at the GN office, when they get approved, I provide the tools for fishing," he said.

In his capacity as councillor, Alikatuktuk gets reports from the RCMP every month regarding call activity and he's been noticing a trend whenever fishing happens.

鈥淲hen the fishery activity goes on, the number of calls go down for the RCMP," he said. "Trying to keep everyone busy, RCMP is less busy. Each month, they get about 130 calls. When the fishing activity starts, their calls start to go down to 70 calls.鈥�

Nancy Aniniliak, a member of the fishery's board, said around 100 people are hired for what is a very short season,鈥�

"This has been ongoing for many years now, but there鈥檚 downsides to everything," she said. "Climate change has impacts to how the fishing will be for the season. Every year we鈥檙e experiencing late ice freezing in the Cumberland Sound, so that鈥檚 a big impact on many of the fishermen. If it鈥檚 late for one or two months, it makes a big difference."

The length of the season is important in terms of employment insurance (EI), which many fishermen depend on during the months of the year the fishery is closed.

Alikatuktuk said the fishery wants to create secondary industries, like dehydrating and smoking traditional foods, to provide employment year-round.

"This is seasonal right now and the workers are just trying to work seasonally and get enough to go on EI,鈥� she said.

"Our main goal is just creating work and building the company that way, and that鈥檚 how we鈥檙e going to benefit the community: by providing employment and training for locals,鈥� added Brittany MacLellan, the fishery's executive manager.

鈥淚鈥檇 much rather be on the water鈥�

Being able to work in the community doing something they love is important to people like Tommy Nakashuk, who supports his family of six by fishing with his wife as a helper.

鈥淓ver since I can remember, I was helping my dad with fishing,鈥� says Nakashuk, who the day before brought in 2,000 lbs. of fish himself. 鈥淚 myself hate working in town. I鈥檇 much rather be out on the water. I鈥檇 never want to move anywhere.鈥�

As someone in the community entirely dependent on feeding his family with his fishing and hunting skills, Nakashuk said the fishing quota established by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) needs to be higher. 

He said there's frustration with the local fishermen who cannot fish enough to survive while simultaneously knowing that in the waters they have grown up in, there isn鈥檛 a danger of over-fishing.

鈥淚 can see both sides,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is what it is. Whatever they say, we have to do, even if we don鈥檛 agree with it.鈥�

He added that whenever government representatives are asked to come see for themselves the realities of the situation in the fishing water and deal with the situation head on, they seem to be too busy.

Nakashuk鈥檚 sentiments are echoed by Simeonie Keenainak, chairman of Pangnirtung鈥檚 Hunters and Trappers Organization. He was born out on the land in the 1950s and has spent his life in Pangnirtung鈥檚 waters and tundra ever since.

He, like Nakashuk, describes 鈥渨atching and learning鈥� how to fish from other Inuit men and said the quota established by DFO is based on inaccurate assessments in Ottawa.

鈥淲e鈥檇 like to make our own quota,鈥� says Keenainak. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we know - nature, and it always finds a way. It seems like anything worth money, [the government] wants to control. I feel like a child. We don鈥檛 fish if we don鈥檛 need it. It鈥檚 part of our culture. They think we always want to overkill, but we don鈥檛.鈥�

Keenainak also said the entire community benefits from fishing.

鈥淸Hunting and fishing] gives us a bit of food to live with, a little bit of income to pay our bills," he said. "But it鈥檚 changed quite a bit from what I remember. We used to be able to Ski-doo in July. Now, it鈥檚 early May [when snow melts]. We don鈥檛 have control [over the weather], but we have to learn to adapt. To adapt to global warming.鈥�