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OTTAWA — The federal government has stalled on a plan to break one company’s monopoly on a lucrative Atlantic fishery by awarding part of the quota to an Indigenous group, after a disastrous attempt last year that led to an investigation by the federal ethics watchdog.

Ottawa announced a year ago that it would choose a new licence holder for 25 per cent of the Arctic surf clam quota in the spring of 2019, to begin harvesting clams in January 2020. That has not happened, and the office of Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson now says there is no timeline on the process.

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“The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is committed to pursuing a path that meaningfully advances reconciliation,” spokesperson Jocelyn Lubczuk told the National Post in an email. “In this respect, we will take the time needed to make the right decision in regards to a possible new entrant in this fishery.”

It’s unclear whether the Liberal government has any plans to restart its search for a new participant in the fishery at this point. It seems unlikely any such process could take place before the October election.