Safety & Social Concerns

A large Scale Oyster farm creates Safety risks

We believe the placement of over 30,000 floating oyster cylinders on either side of the main channel near the mouth of the harbour represents a safety risk to the commercial fishermen and recreational boaters and paddlers who use the harbour.  The winds, tides and currents in this portion of the harbour change frequently.  Even experienced boaters can be blown off course by difficult wind, wave and/or current conditions. Getting caught in one of the fields of oyster floats in such conditions could create serious safety risk.  

Further complicating this dangerous situation is the potential for oyster cylinders, ropes, anchors, buoys and related gear to be dislodged by storms and spread into the channel and around the harbour and St. George’s Bay. At best it would take TPCI days to sink/secure their tens of thousands of floats. Users of the harbor know that conditions can change from serene to severe in hours not days.

Antigonish harbour is a public space and resource, a commons.  A commons is generally understood to be safely accessible to all members of a community, including  its air, water, flora and fauna. The resources of the harbour thus have been held by all and have not been privately owned until now.  The effect of granting 120 acres of oyster farm leases to one person or family changes the nature of our commons.  Effectively, that person will be able to make rules on access and use by others.