P.E.I. OYSTERS
Industry to redistribute surplus
Four million oysters will be spared the shucking knife and moved to locations across Prince Edward Island this year to live and breed new generations to be harvested, thanks to a $2.5-million government project.
The P.E.I. government said in a news release that growers in the province were hit hard because of COVID-19 and ended up with an excess of oysters this fall that will now serve as seed stock to enhance commercial oyster beds, preparing the industry for postpandemic seasons.
Through the project, oysters were placed on commercially fished areas to enhance oyster beds, a new oyster bed was developed for future harvests, the amount of brood stock available in a reserve was increased and a pilot project was developed to improve water quality and environmental conditions in areas where there are annual issues.
The Oyster Enhancement Fund was financed and administered in collaboration with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the P.E.I. Aquaculture Alliance, the P.E.I. Shellfish Association and the provincial Department of Fisheries and
Communities.
A spokesperson for the fisheries department said 20 per cent of the funding — about $500,000 — will be provided by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
"While the project has been completed, we have not yet received all of the claims for project expenses to date,” the department said in an email to Saltwire.
The program may not actually use up the $2.5 million budgeted.
"The Department of Fisheries and Communities estimates that its actual contribution to the project will be closer to $950,000 with ACOA covering 20 per cent of the cost,” said the department spokesperson.
The department says the fishery and the oyster aquaculture sectors were affected by COVID-19, with reduced sales to the food-service and hospitality industries and outright closures in some food-service markets.
There are 300 to 400 oyster fishers in P.E.I. They operate in the wild fishery and the aquaculture sector.
In 2019, the total landings from the sectors combined was 4.9 million kilograms, with a landed value of $17.2 million and approximate economic value to the province of $35 million, according to department statistics.
The president of the shellfish association, Bob Macleod, could not be reached for comment.
However, in a news release, Macleod said, "The P.E.I. Shellfish Association sees enhancement of commercial oyster beds as key to the success of our industry. This program provided a wonderful opportunity to increase our regular enhancement efforts and for our industry to collaborate with the oyster aquaculture sector.”