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Baffin Fisheries awarded $544,000 in court case

Johnny MikeNunavut Election 2017
Baffin Fisheries chair Johnny Mike: "“We will continue to work hard to recover all monies unlawfully taken and return it to our communities.” photo courtesy of Johnny Mike

Baffin Fisheries has been awarded $544,049 in a court case against the organization’s former CEO.

Baffin Fisheries chair Johnny Mike: “We will continue to work hard to recover all monies unlawfully taken and return it to our communities.”
photo courtesy of Johnny Mike

The Newfoundland Supreme Court judge also ordered the defendant to pay legal costs and interest as part of the Dec. 17 decision.

The judge found that former Baffin Fisheries CEO Garth Reid had used company funds for personal purposes. Baffin Fisheries and Niqitaq Fisheries filed the lawsuit after accusing Reid of diverting fisheries money to build a mansion and guest house in Newfoundland.

Baffin Fisheries is pursuing an additional $855,983 in court from Reid and his spouse.

Baffin Fisheries chairman Johnny Mike of Pangnirtung said, “This is welcome news for the thousands of shareholders of Baffin Fisheries, who are all Inuit beneficiaries under the Nunavut Land Claims Act, living in the harshest, most remote communities in Canada. We will continue to work hard to recover all monies unlawfully taken, and return it to our communities.”

Baffin Fisheries is an independent, not-for-profit, 100 per cent Inuit-owned company owned by five Nunavut hunters and trappers associations. It’s also the largest commercial
fishing enterprise in Northern Canada.