Posted on April 28, 2025
With the lobster season getting underway, dredging is still ongoing or planned for some harbours around P.E.I.
Due to factors like the wind and extreme weather, the federal government carries out dredging to ensure safe and accessible harbours by maintaining navigational depths for boats to support commercial fisheries.
In a statement to The Guardian on April 23, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) said two P.E.I. harbours were undergoing dredging in Lobster Fishing Area 24, posing potential delays to the lobster fishers on the north shore.
“Dredging at North Rustico, P.E.I. is scheduled to take place this week, weather permitting. Dredging at Malpeque and North Lake harbours in P.E.I. is ongoing,” read the statement.
Further, the contractor dredging Hardy’s Channel for Milligan’s Shore in Prince County expects to begin next week, DFO added.
Dredging is required in some harbours because tidal currents and wave action can fill in navigational channels and harbour basins with sediment.
DFO previously told The Guardian dredging methods include land-based or barge-mounted excavators or floating plant cutter suction.
Dredge material can range from less than 1,000 cubic metres to more than 20,000 cubic metres, DFO said.
That material is disposed of at sea, on beaches, in a containment cell or at a provincial disposal facility.
Following are the season opening dates in 2025 for lobster fishing areas in the region. Management measures and seasons dates for LFA 25 will be announced at a later date.
- LFA 23: April 30-June 30.
- LFA 24: April 25-June 25.
- LFA 26A-1: April 25-June 25.
- LFA 26A-2: April 26-June 26.
- LFA 26A-3: April-22-June 22.
- LFA 26B(South): April 30-June 30.
- LFA 26B(North): May 2-July 2.
