P.E.I. oyster season delayed for at least a week due to ice

P.E.I.'s spring wild oyster season was supposed to start Friday, but harvesters are going to have to wait at least a week before putting their boats in the water.

A coalition of fishermen, processors, the province and Fisheries and Oceans Canada agree that it's too soon because of ice conditions in Island harbours and decided as a group to put opening off until May 8 at the earliest.

Brenda Campbell, president of the P.E.I. Shellfish Association, says there's no way oyster harvesters could get on the water Friday.

"Who better to decide whether they should be on the water or not than the actual people that are on the water and not … people sitting behind the desks," she said.

This is the first time a change like this has been driven by the fishermen themselves, Campbell says.

With bays and harbours still full of ice, oysters may not yet be feeding.

"Are they even ready? And that's a big thing, too. Because we tong good product, it could be a long day before you get a box if they're not ready," said Campbell.

It's also possible the winter has been too long for the oysters to survive that would have been ready.

"With all the ice, it's hard to say how many are going to be dead down there. We won't know until the first day of fishing how it's actually going to affect us down the road," said Jean Milligan, who works with processor Hardy Oysters.

She says the delayed start to the season will have long-term impacts on anyone who works with oysters.

A conference call is scheduled for May 6 to reassess whether conditions have improved enough to get boats out on the water.

The season generally runs May 1 to July 15.

Scallop and lobster fisheries are also delayed.