History
AFA’s origins can be traced to Nattivak HTA’s history of turbot fishing in NAFO division 0B. Qikiqtarjuaq’s HTA had held turbot quota since the mid-1990s. On May 15th, 2008, Arctic Fishery Alliance Limited Partnership was formed with the objective of distributing the benefits gained from increased participation in the offshore fishery to a greater number of communities in Nunavut. The newly formed partnership was awarded its first allocation of turbot in 2009.
In 2010, AFA purchased its first fishing vessel, the 100’ fixed-gear factory freezer Suvak, transitioning the enterprise from a royalty-based business model to one with its own harvesting capacity. AFA also received an increase in quota.
In 2013, AFA completed the purchase of a second vessel, the Kiviuq, which is the sister ship to the Suvak. In the same year, AFA received a second turbot quota increase, becoming the second-largest quota holder for this species in Nunavut.
AFA acquired a subsidiary company in 2015, called Arctic Fishery Alliance Inc. It is 100% owned by AFA LP and operates as a for-profit stand-alone company to manage the Kiviuq’s marine research activities.
In 2016, AFA was allocated its first shrimp quotas in a unanimous industry-sharing arrangement. The partnership is continually looking for new ways to diversify its operations and increase its benefits to its Inuit owners.