Shellfish Group Worried About Protection

The PEI Shellfish Association is worried decreases in the budget of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans will result in a lack of enforcement resources for their industry.

Unlike neighbouring New Brunswick, PEI has no fisheries officers dedicated strictly to enforcement areas in estuaries. Association president Clifford Bernard said that has proven to be an ongoing problem and his group has discussed the issue several times with DFO officials in Moncton and Charlottetown.

Bernard said the lack of officers devoted to patrolling estuaries means “there’s very little time left for underwater protection presence.” Bernard said two years ago his group was able to secure two fisheries officers, but those positions disappeared last year and the budget cuts recently announced for the department make it unlikely the jobs will retur...