The Nunavut government wants to build its inventory of tanned sealskins, in order to make it cheaper and easier to supply skins to community groups.

The territorial government has contracted a southern supplier to tan and store the skins from Nunavut so that bulk orders can be made on short notice and at a set price.

A worker sorts through sealskins. The Nunavut government hopes the inventory will make it cheaper and easier to make bulk orders on short notice. (CBC)

Wayne Lynch, the government's fisheries and sealing director, said until now, the government would order skins as needed at whatever price was being offered.

"We get requests, of course, for skins for display purposes and loan them out. And so we just want to have a small inventory of skins that we can call upon for these events," he said.

Lynch said the government has also supplied bulk orders of tanned sealskins to Arctic College and community sewing groups. He said he hopes the new system will save the government money.