Area missing the boat says rockweed harvester

By Kathy Johnson

FOR THE SOU’WESTER

Eastern Shelburne County, N.S. is missing the boat when it comes to rockweed harvesting potential.

At least three or four more harvesters could be hired to work a lease in the Little Harbour area for Tidal Organics in Pubnico, but without permission to offload the rockweed at the Little Harbour wharf it’s just not viable.

And one harvester currently working the lease, Ed Oxford, says he could hire a person to help him, but, because there are no offloading facilities in Little Harbour, he can’t afford to.

“We could probably hire three or four more harvesters down there (but) we can’t harvest it because we can’t find a spot to offload a lot of resource,” said David Cleveland, plant manager for Tidal Organics.

Tidal Organics’ lease runs from Black Point to Port Mouton. Although the company does have offloading boxes at the Lockeport and Port Mouton wharves, both ports are a long way to go in a small outboard boat.

“It’s a long way to travel from our lease to Lockeport,” said Cleveland, and coming across Lockeport harbor it wouldn’t take much for a small vessel to get swamped he said.

For Oxford, who lives in Little Harbour and harvests rockweed about 10 to 15 minutes from the wharf, it takes him an hour and 45 minutes to steam from Little Harbour to Lockeport to offload his harvest.

“It costs me an extra $300 a week in gas to go to Lockeport wharf,” said Oxford. “For what I spend in gas I could hire another person.”

Both Oxford and Cleveland have contacted the Little Harbour Harbour Authority, seeking permission to have an offloading box placed on the wharf but to no avail.

“We tried back in May when it was still lobster season,” said Cleveland, who said he was told at the time by wharf manager Borden Williams that the authority would have a meeting to decide whether or not to allow Tidal Organics to place an offloading container on the Little Harbour wharf.

“No one ever returned our call,” said Cleveland.

Oxford has also tried to contact Williams about the situation but with no success.

Although numerous attempts were made to contact Williams, he did not return calls to Transcontinental Media’s Coast Guard newspaper, where this story originally appeared.

Both Cleveland and Oxford are at a loss as to why they can’t get permission to place an offloading box on the Little Harbour wharf.

“At the very least it’s an abuse of power,” said Oxford. “The wharf is not being used this time of year. There are only a couple of boats berthed there. The local fishermen have given me permission to tie up, but Tidal Organics can’t get permission to put a box on wharf,” said Oxford.

“On a government wharf we should have the right to be on it if it’s not being used,” said Cleveland. “That wharf wasn’t used all summer.”

Cleveland said not only does Tidal Organics have all their own equipment, when the company does set up an offloading station on a wharf, income is generated for the wharf from berthing fees.

Meanwhile Oxford continues to try and make the best of the situation. “I should be able to make $1,500 to $2,000 a week but it’s a job to make $300,” said Oxford. “I have $100,000 invested in my business but it’s going down hill because I can’t unload here (Little Harbour).”

Not only would Oxford’s business be more viable if he could offload in Little Harbour, it would also be safer than trying to steam to Lockeport with a boatload of rockweed, weather permitting.

“I just want to be able to make a living,” he said.

(Kathy Johnson is a journalist with Transcontinental Media’s Shelburne Coast Guard newspaper, which is a contributor to the Sou’Wester.)