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.
In a recent press release the Prince Edward Island government said oyster growers in the province were hit had because of COVID-19, and ended up with an excess of oysters this fall.
Those surplus oysters will now serve as seed stock to enhance commercial oyster beds, preparing the industry for post-pandemic 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 spat collection reserve was increased and a pilot project was developed to improve water quality and environmental conditions in areas where there are annual water quality issues
The Oyster Enhancement Fund was financed and administered in collaboration with Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, P.E.I. Aquaculture Alliance, P.E.I. Shellfish Association and provincial Department of Fisheries and Communities.
A spokesperson for the P.E.I. fisheries department said 20 percent of the funding—about $500,000—will be provided by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
"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 percent of the cost,” said the department spokesperson.
The department added both 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 300-400 oyster fishers in P.E.I. They operate in both the wild fishery and the aquaculture sector.
In 2019 the total landings from both 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 P.E.I. Shellfish Association, Bob MacLeod, could not be reached for comment.
However, in a press 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.”
