The Inuit Boffin Fisheries owned fishing company baptized its new Inuksuk II ship at an IQaluit ceremony earlier this week.
The new ship is the “largest Canadian property vessel” in the country, according to Boffin Fisheries CEO outgoing, Chris Flanagan.
Baffin Fisheries president, Kavavow Mikijuk, said the company is extremely proud that Nunavummuit had the opportunity to see the new ship of “state of art” at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Baffin Fisheries is owned by the Associations of Hunters and Traps of Bagnirtung, Iqaluit, Clyde River, Kimmirut and Pond Inlet. All company’s profits are paid as royalties to the members of these communities. The people in the five communities were able to attend the ceremony, Mikijuk said.
The ship, known as a factory freezer drag, will go on to catch Turbot and Camarones in Arctic Waters, and download its load in Newfoundland.
The container is 80 meters long, 18 meters wide and will be able to take up to 1,300 tons of turbocate Turbot in the sea or 930 tons of shrimp. It costs $ 72 million to build.
Speaking to CBC at the ceremony, Kavavow Mikijuk said that the new largest ship will be more efficient than the smallest Inuksuk and will not need to attach so often. He believes that he will also create more jobs for Inuit in Baffin Fisheries, one of the company’s objectives.
