P.E.I.'s aquaculture growers 'starting to hurt' as Fiona financial relief continues to lag

The P.E.I. government has processed fewer than half of the financial relief claims submitted by Island aquaculture harvesters related to damages from post-tropical storm Fiona. 

The storm struck the province in 2022, and caused an estimated $70 million in damages to the aquaculture industry, which includes oyster and mussel growers.  

In early April, under questioning from Opposition Liberal MLA Robert Henderson in the legislature, Fisheries Minister Cory Deagle said he wanted to see the outstanding claims "wrapped up within the next … six weeks." 

At that time, 30 of the total 116 applications had been approved. With that six-week timeframe now past, the province had approved 43 claims as of May 15. 

Henderson told CBC News this week the delay is causing growers a lot of uncertainty. 

"They're now starting to hurt," he said. "Financially, their cash flow has been limited and they don't know whether to reinvest in their industry. They don't know whether to hire people, and it's really having an impact on these fishers." 

P.E.I.'s aquaculture industry produces 45 million pounds (24 million kilograms) of mussels and 10 million pounds (4.6 million kilograms) of oysters a year, among other products.

With some products needing three to four years of growth before they're ready for harvesting, Henderson said many growers have already paid for replacement gear out of their own pockets while waiting for their compensation claims to be processed. 

The Canadian Red Cross, which administers the financial relief program on behalf of the provincial government, states on its website that aquaculture applicants are eligible for up to $550,000 in compensation for uninsurable losses from the storm. 

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for P.E.I.'s Fisheries Department said the financial relief program is "evidence-based," and some claims have needed more information to verify the amount. 

"Each case is different and must be treated with respect to the variety of circumstances, whether that be through external insurance agencies, federal partners, other stakeholders or all of the above," the statement reads.

"It takes time to ensure the applications are complete and the claims are verified. We are working through files as quickly as possible to ensure they can be successful."

Pay now, process later?

The process hasn't been moving quickly enough for harvesters, though, nearly two years on from Fiona. 

The P.E.I. Aquaculture Alliance would like to see some advance payments made to applicants while their claims are being processed. 

"The waiting times that some of the growers are seeing is certainly having an impact on their businesses. We have been hearing from our members about the stresses of waiting for their claims to be finalized," said Peter Warris, executive director of the alliance. 

"We have requested that they look at making payments, or at least partial payments, advanced to applicants so that the work of doing the actual claims assessment can be done after they have received at least some assistance." 

Meanwhile, with more extreme weather events likely on the horizon, both the industry and province can at least agree that more support is needed. 

Deagle said last month that he'd like to get the federal government on board with measures similar to what's available to the agriculture industry through crop insurance.