Baffin Fisheries has announced its intention to build a new trawler to fish halibut and shrimp in Arctic waters close to Nunavut. The planned 75m LOA by 17 metre beam trawler will have a 1200 tonne hold capacity and will be double the size of the largest vessel currently operating from Nunavut.
‘Acquiring a new, efficient, purpose-built factory trawler will allow us to improve operations, create new Inuit employment opportunities, and ensure more Nunavut seafood resources are harvested by Inuit owned vessels and companies,’ said Baffin Fisheries Chairman and President Jacopie Maniapik.
‘The acquisition of this modern vessel with the very latest fishing and navigation technology signals that Baffin Fisheries are investing in the future.’
A letter of intent has been signed with Havyard in Norway towards completing a contract for a newbuild before August this year, under which the new vessel would be delivered in April 2019.
‘This is a long-term, strategic decision that demonstrates our confidence in the industry, and the strength of Inuit-owned companies. This is a great day for our Company, our communities and for Nunavut,’ Jacopie Maniapik said.
The new vessel is expected to replace the Company’s first trawler, Inuksuk I, which will be 32 years old by the time the new vessel is delivered.
Baffin Fisheries is jointly owned by five Hunters and Trappers Associations (HTAs) in Nunavut: Amarok HTA (Iqaluit), Pangnirtung HTA (Pangnirtung), Mayukalik HTA (Kimmirut), Mittimatalik HTA (Pond Inlet), and Namautaq HTA (Clyde River). Each HTA elects representatives two individuals to sit on the Board of Directors.
Baffin Fisheries is 100% Inuit-owned, and owns 100% of its fleet of four fishing vessels, which includes two multi-species factory freezer trawlers and two factory freezer gillnetters.
