Fishers in North Rustico hit the water earlier than usual Wednesday morning after more than a dozen boats were stranded offshore on Tuesday.
Extremely low tides and strong winds combined with extra sand in the channel meant about half the boats that went out Tuesday morning couldn’t get back to the wharf at the usual time, and had to either wait for high tide to return or seek other harbours.
“I’d never seen the tide that low as it was yesterday,” said Ian Gauthier, a fisherman who was stuck offshore for about five hours Tuesday.
“I’ve never experienced that before,” he said. “That’s the first time in about 40 years.”
Boats started coming into the harbour around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, with some fishers ending the day hours earlier than they typically would with an eye on the tide chart.
Some fishers said they didn’t want to get stranded or risk any expensive boat damage.
Safety risks
Aubrey Doucette said he didn’t fish about 60 of his traps Wednesday in order to shorten the day.
“It was frustrating, but at the end of the day, ultimately I still wanted to get in [rather than] have to sit out there again for five or six hours,” he said.
While expensive damage to fishing boats is a concern, so are safety risks.
“Say if somebody had a medical emergency and you have to sail in… sitting out there for four hours, you know, wouldn’t have been very good if somebody was severely hurt,” Doucette said.
“It’s definitely a concern in the back of your head. Like, today I just wanted to get in and didn’t really worry about the last 60 traps,” the fisherman said, adding that he plans to check the remaining traps for lobster over the next few days.
Safety concerns were also top of mind for lobster fisher Merrill Montgomery.
“When it’s not safe, it kind of affects your livelihood because you can’t fish your gear properly because you’re rushing to get the gear hauled, kind of fish around the tides and hope to get back in safe,” Montgomery said.
“We need to be doing something for safety reasons, whether it’s dredging or building wharfs with breakwalls,” he said.
The community’s breakwater — which helps protect the shore from erosion as well as providing shelter from winds and waves — was damaged during post-tropical storm Fiona in September 2022.
Another part of the problem is that there hasn’t been as much winter drift ice to help dredge out the channels naturally over the past few years, Montgomery said.
Changing climactic conditions and the lack of ice cover during the winter means some places are dealing with drifting sand where it hasn’t been a problem for many years — if ever, said Ian MacPherson, the executive director of the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association.
“We seem to be having more issues at more harbours every year over the last few years, so that’s a concern,” MacPherson said.
He said there is limited dredging equipment available and more resources would be helpful.
In a statement to CBC News, DFO said dredging in the North Rustico channel was done just last week, between April 23 and 26.
“The North Shore of P.E.I. is experiencing a period of particularly low tides… Tidal forecasts indicate a return to more normal levels by next week,” the brief email said, adding that federal officials are working with the harbour authority on the issue.
MLAs hear concerns in legislature
The issue was raised in the provincial legislature on Wednesday.
Backbench PC MLA Brad Trivers asked whether Minister of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport and Culture Zack Bell would prioritize emergency dredging in the North Shore harbour.
“Every opportunity that I do have with the federal government to advocate for things for Prince Edward Island, I do. And dredging will be 100 per cent,” Bell responded.
Trivers said in harbours like North Rustico, “climate change is clearly altering local conditions.”
He asked Bell what steps the provincial government can take to advocate for proactive dredging schedules.
“It is an unfortunate time,” Bell said, noting that Naufrage was also affected by extremely low tides as a result of the new moon on the weekend.
“I will continue to press DFO [the Department of Fisheries and Oceans] for the need and the safety,” Bell said, adding that this is something the provincial government has considered a priority for “for eons and eons.”
Trivers said long-term solutions are needed to address the issue, adding: “Fishers across the Island are raising the alarm about safety concerns tied to changing tides and shifting sands.”
Checking federal platform
During the campaign leading up to Monday’s federal election, Bell said two elements of the Liberal Party of Canada’s platform stuck out to his provincial department with regard to Island fisheries.
First, the Liberal Party under Mark Carney pledged a recommitment and 20 per cent increase to the Atlantic Fisheries Fund.
Second, the party promised $250 million for small craft harbours across the country.
“I can guarantee you… I will be advocating strongly for P.E.I.’s fair share,” Bell said.
