A business is exploring the potential of oyster farming in the vicinity of Parrsboro, N.S., citing the significant tides as a possible advantage for the enterprise. Darren Porter, the owner of Minas Select Inc., has sought approval from the province for an experimental license and lease covering just over eight hectares along the Minas Basin shoreline. This initiative arises amidst challenges faced by the oyster industry in Atlantic Canada due to the impact of two diseases, multinucleate sphere unknown (MSX) and Dermo, in recent years. While these diseases pose no threat to humans, they are fatal to oysters.
Porter indicated that disease transmission is not a concern in a clean area devoid of wild oysters, emphasizing the importance of maintaining cleanliness to prevent issues, except for potential transmission by birds or fish, which is still being investigated. Oysters are typically harvested near the Bay of Fundy mouth, though they are not native to the Minas Basin. Porter highlighted successful prior oyster tests in Bramber, N.S., noting the advantages offered by the area’s substantial tide range, such as easy access by land to oyster gear tables, reduced need for buoys and materials like Styrofoam, and natural removal of aquatic vegetation from gear due to sun exposure.
While the Bramber tests met his standards, Porter acknowledged the need to assist oysters in surviving winter by relocating them to land and placing them in a cold room. Issues with selling oysters harvested in Bramber due to lack of classification by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency led to the exploration of the commercial fishing area across the Minas Basin near Partridge Island. The chosen location aims to minimize local impacts, including on clam harvesters, with the goal of demonstrating successful oyster growth to attract other growers and create local employment opportunities.
Porter emphasized the high demand for oysters and invited public feedback on the proposed experimental license and lease near Parrsboro until October 16 through the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Feedback should address specific criteria like impacts on local fisheries, navigation, economic development, and ocean conditions, as outlined in the public notice. An experimental license can be granted for up to five years, and an information session on the project is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday at Ottawa House for further inquiries from the public.