'Hard hit to the heart': Oyster farm devastated by Dorian
Sheet Harbour business suffers massive loss in last weekend's storm
Michelle Munroe thought her oyster farm might withstand the 140 km/h winds of Hurricane Dorian.
But all it took was the wind switching directions, leaving her farm vulnerable to the elements.
"It was devastating," said Munroe, who owns Sober Island Oysters in Sheet Harbour, N.S. with her husband. "We just cried."
Around 11 p.m. Saturday, Munroe's husband strapped a hockey helmet to his head and ventured out to try and assess the damage.
After realizing the combination of darkness and fallen trees made navigation too difficult, they decided to wait until the next day to see how their farm was impacted.
"It was a hard hit to the heart," Munroe told CBC Nova Scotia News.
She discovered that every one of their oyster lines was damaged, and at least 1,000 of their oyster bags were scattered across the shore.
Munroe's loss is not an isolated event. Earlier in the week the Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced the closure of a large number of shellfish fisheries in the Maritimes.
In a release, it said the closures will remain in effect for at least a week. Tests will be conducted to determine when the affected areas can be reopened to fishing.
"We have just been trying to salvage what's left," said Munroe, who estimates about 70 per cent of their farm's resources became loose or lost.
After the damage was shared on Facebook, about 40 people from the community came to help with the cleanup effort and to salvage what could be salvaged.
Munroe said she's hoping to receive some help from the government.
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