The Nunavut Marine Council has released its 2026–2031 strategic plan. The Council brings together the Nunavut Impact Review Board, Nunavut Planning Commission, Nunavut Water Board and Nunavut Wildlife Management Board to provide coordinated advice on Nunavut marine areas. Its new plan commits the Council to strengthen its capacity, co-ordinate regulatory and policy work, gather community concerns and provide advice that reflects Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and Inuit Qaujimaningit. Source↗

The plan identifies development and shipping impacts as a focus area at a time when shipping activity and development pressures are growing in Nunavut marine areas. But the Council is an advisory and co-ordinating body: the plan does not itself change vessel rules, approve infrastructure, create a new protected area or authorize spending on a specific project. The plan says the four member bodies each received $104,000 in federal support for Council work in 2025, or $416,000 in total. Source↗

A Council working group is to develop a five-year implementation plan and annual work plans that set out roles, responsibilities and timelines for Council approval. The strategic plan says progress will be reported to the Council annually, with a full review at the end of the five-year period. No implementation plan, annual work plan, public deadline or list of first-year shipping recommendations was included with the released plan. Source↗

The plan was developed following a January 2025 workshop in Cambridge Bay involving representatives of the four member Institutions of Public Government, legal counsel and consultants. The Council’s stated mandate under the Nunavut Agreement is to advise and make recommendations to government agencies on marine areas; governments must consider that advice in relevant decisions. Source↗