Commercial Fishing
Nunavut’s fishing industry is only about fifteen years old, and already it is a major contributor to our economic growth, and is one of the world's leading developing fisheries.
The fishing sector has taken off in recent years with significant growth in the offshore shrimp and turbot fisheries, a growing inshore fishery on south Baffin Island, and the maintenance of a sustainable harvest of wild char from lakes and rivers across the territory.
In 2005, the landed value of turbot was $23.6 million and $2.9 million for shrimp. Estimates for 2006, have the landed value of turbot increasing significantly to $35.2 million and the value of shrimp increasingly marginally. In 2004, the domestic use of Arctic char had a food replacement value of nearly $4.4 million and commercial char sales were valued at $1.2 million. Nunavut’s fishery will contribute at least $85 million to the territorial GDP within ten years.
Nunavut’s largest fish processing facility is in Pangnirtung, with smaller operations in Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay, and several community facilities, such as those in Gjoa Haven, Chesterfield Inlet, and Whale Cove.
The Fishing Industry of Nunavut (PDF)