Fishers express concern as Transport Canada confirms it will dredge P.E.I. ferry harbour

With the ferry service between eastern Prince Edward Island and northern Nova Scotia once again experiencing cancellations, this time because of the tides, the federal government confirms it plans to dredge Wood Islands Harbour earlier than planned.

Northumberland Ferries Ltd. said this week that it would be operating on reduced sailings and limited vehicle capacity due to "unusually low tides." 

Cardigan MP Kent MacDonald said the last time the area was dredged was in 2022.

"The fishermen are experiencing the same problem in the harbours, getting in and out," MacDonald told CBC News. "The ferry's… putting precautionary measures in or cancelling crossings when the tide is extremely low so we don't have  any safety issues or any damage to assets that are there."

MacDonald said Transport Canada, which owns the ferries, is set to dredge the Wood Islands Harbour later this year.

"That process will have to be closely monitored and make sure that the ferries are able to dock and leave safely, if we're going to continue to have extreme weather events with the tide being lower than normal," he said.

A spokesperson for Transport Canada confirmed in a statement to CBC News that it would dredge Wood Islands Harbour this year. 

"Typically, dredging at Woods Island is carried out on a five-year cycle, and the last dredging operation was completed in 2022," the statement reads. "This year's assessment revealed more sediment accumulation than usual. A call for tenders is therefore underway for dredging work, which is scheduled to begin after August 1, 2025."

The statement added: "MV Northumberland can operate at the current depth; however, extreme conditions may lead to adjustments."

A follow-up email said the work "must be completed no later than Dec. 31, 2025, to avoid delays caused by ice forming in the harbour."

More sediment than usual

More P.E.I. harbours have needed dredging in recent years, in part because there's less sea ice over the winter months to keep shifting sand in check. That leads sand and silt building up, which could cause boats to run aground in the shallower waters. 

If the conditions aren't right, the lobster won't settle there, or they won't survive if they've already settled there.— Ian MacPherson 

But Transport Canada's pledge to dredge Wood Islands Harbour has raised concerns among some in the fishing industry about where all the accumulated sediment will go.

Ian MacPherson, executive director of the P.E.I. Fishermen's Association, said the plan is for the sediment to be deposited at sea, but fishermen are concerned that the large volume of sediment could negatively affect their lobster grounds.

"If the conditions aren't right, the lobster won't settle there, or they won't survive if they've already settled there," he told Radio-Canada.

"We could be looking at a negative impact in our lobster stock. Because of the life cycle of lobster, we may not find out for a number of years that the stocks suffered a setback."

MacPherson said the association has been advocating with Transport Canada to have the sediment dumped on land. The association would also prefer that the dredging take place in late October, so that it wouldn't affect spawning or young lobsters.

Darlene Compton, MLA for Belfast–Murray River and P.E.I.'s minister of economic development, innovation and trade, said she is aware of the industry's concerns. She plans to bring them forward during a federal-provincial trade ministers meeting in early July.

All dredging activities are carried out in accordance with the regulations set out by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada.— Transport Canada

"This is part of internal trade. The ideal situation for the fishers would be to take that dredging and dump it on land," Compton said.

"I would suggest to the federal government that we should work with the fishers and work with [the provincial Department of] Environment to ensure that we're doing this the right way and at the right time."

In its email to CBC News, Transport Canada did not mention where dredged silt will be dumped, but did say: "All dredging activities are carried out in accordance with the regulations set out by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada."

'Everything can't happen the way you want it to'

Meanwhile, MacDonald said extreme weather events that prevent off-Island travel have to be expected sometimes.

"When the wind is blowing, the [Confederation] Bridge closes; when the tides are extremely low, Transport Canada is taking the necessary precautions to ask the ferry service to cancel those crossings," he said. 

"I think we have to be realistic in our expectations... Everything can't happen the way you want it to."

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Northumberland Ferries has cancelled some sailings this week for what it calls "unusually low tides." People in the area say dredging work should have been done ahead of time to welcome the new boats, but because that work hasn't been done the ferry service is having a bumpy early summer schedule. CBC’s Cody MacKay reports.

Despite the disruptions this week, MacDonald said the ferry service has been running well so far.

"I think it's been going smoothly this summer," he said. "Spring tide season will be over at the end of this week, and things will return to normal."

The ferry route between Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S., is currently serviced by two ships — MV Confederation and the Northumberland. With both vessels in service, Northumberland Ferries typically runs eight scheduled crossings a day.