Cambridge Bay, Nunavut - The Nunavut Impact Review Board recommends not proceeding with the proposed expansion of the iron ore mine at the northern tip of Baffin Island.

Baffinland Iron Mines Corp is seeking to expand its Mary River iron ore mine near Pond Inlet by doubling its annual production from six to 12 million tons.

The mine, considered one of the richest iron deposits in the world, opened in 2015 and ships about six million tons of ore annually.

The mine says the expansion will increase the workforce at the mine to more than 1,000.

The review board said on Friday in a statement that there is a likelihood that the proposal could have significant and lasting negative impacts on marine mammals, the marine environment, fish, other wildlife, plants, and freshwater.

The board said these negative impacts could also affect Inuit harvests and food security.

"The board concluded that the proposal as assessed cannot be implemented in a way that protects the ecological integrity of the Nunavut Settlement Area and that will protect and enhance the current and future well-being of the residents and communities of the Nunavut Settlement Area and Canada as a whole."

"As a result, the board recommended to the minister that the phase two development proposal as assessed should not be allowed to proceed at this time."

Federal Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal thanked the board for its work and said the government will review the report and its recommendations.

The mine proposal has faced opposition, including from fishers in the community closest to the mine. Inuit fishers said they fear that the mine's expansion will accelerate the ongoing decline in the number of narwhal fish they rely on for food.

In a letter sent last week to the board, the Mittimatalik Hunters and Trappers organization said the mine is already harming the harvest, which is an important food source.