Oyster Culture in Prince Edward Island 



BY 



Hon. a. E. Aesbnault 

 Member of Bxecutive Council, Prince Edward Island 



THAT oysters have existed in the bays and rivers of Prince Edward 

 Island from pre-historic times is amply proved by the large and 

 deep deposits of oyster shells found, especially in Malpeque* and St. 

 Peter bays, and which, in places, are over thirty-five feet deep. This 

 mussel-mud, as it is called, is a very valuable fertilizer and, up to two 

 years ago, the immense shell-mud deposits of St. Peter bay were prac- 

 tically untouched, as the only means of obtaining the mud was by horse- 

 power dredges which can only operate on ice in winter time, and, as this 

 bay does not freeze over, the dredges cannot operate on it. Last year, 

 however, the Provincial Government constructed a self-loading and 

 -unloading steam clam dredge, which successfully operated during the 

 past summer, lifting from nine to ten carloads of shell-mud per day. 



History op Oyster Industry in P.E.I. , 

 Oysters Used It is a tradition among the French Acadian people, 

 Md^o o'btain ^^° ^^""^ *^^ ^^^ settlers of Malpeque, a village on 

 Lime the shore of Malpeque bay, that eighty to one hundred 



years ago oysters were so plentiful in this bay that, as there was no 

 market for them, large quantities of live oysters were fished and spread 

 over the land as fertilizer. The shells were also burnt for the lime 

 they produced. This practice depleted the beds to such an extent 

 that, in 1825, a Provincial statute was enacted prohibiting for seven 

 years, not only the burning of oysters for lime, but their export as 

 well. At the end of the seven years the burning of oysters was made 

 illegal and, in 1840, the exportation of oysters was prohibited for 

 another seven years. 



Close Seasons '^^^ ^^^^ ^'^^ providing for a close season for oysters 



and Leasing was passed in 1864 and forbade the fishing, selling or 



Instituted having in possession from June 1st to September 1st 



in each year. In 1865, an act was passed to enable leasing in certain 



♦Locally known as Richmond bay. 



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