Nunavut fish research vessel nets more funding

The federal government has announced $320,000 in new funding toward a fisheries research vessel that the Nunavut government will use to uncover more data about the territory's marine environment and resources.

Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl announced the new funds Thursday in Iqaluit, bringing the federal government's total funding for the vessel tojust under $2.2 million. The money comes from the federalgovernment's $85-million Arctic Research Infrastructure Fund.

The 19.5-metre boat is currently being built by Glovertown Shipyards in Newfoundland and Labrador. Construction expected to bedone by November, and Strahl said the vesselshould set sail in northern waters next spring. It is meant to be used during the summer months only, he added.

"It's not an icebreaker, so it's not going to be here in January," Strahl told reporters Thursday. "But my understanding is it should be here for next spring and get next year's research season under its belt."

Strahl said the new money will go toward putting in electronic equipmentthat will help make the boat readyto do research. The Nunavut government has purchased $263,000 in extra equipment as well.

"You can almost build the vessel for one price, and it's almost that much price again to put [in] the electronics and the other tools of the trade in order to make it useful as a research vessel," Strahl said.

Nunavut's inshore commercial fishery has been held up by little knowledge about the extent of fish stocks in the territory's waters.

The territorial government hopes that by buying the $2.5-million research vessel, that will allow researchers to find out where marine species are located, as well as determine their populations.

Where the research boat will be docked is stillnot confirmedcurrently there is no port in Nunavut forsuch avessel.

"The port is something that I always talk about that we need here in the North," Premier Eva Aariak said.

"We are working towards providing nice homes for such vessels like that in the North.I'm hoping that one day we will have a nice home for it."

In the meantime, territorial government officials said the fishing research vessel will likely be docked on the East Coast perhaps in Newfoundland and Labrador, where it could potentially be chartered outside the northern sailing season in the summer.

The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, as well as some universities, have expressed some interest in using the vessel for their ownresearch, the government officials said.