These are stressful times for fishers along P.E.I.’s North Shore, especially those based out of North Rustico. Low tides are wreaking havoc as boats wait for hours to get into the harbour. As CBC’s Connor Lamont reports, dramatic stories of getting stranded with a catch of lobster on board have spurred calls for earlier dredging in the spring.
Fishers in North Rustico hit the water earlier than usual Wednesday morning after more than a dozen boats were stranded offshore on Tuesday.
Extremely low tides and strong winds combined with extra sand in the channel meant about half the boats that went out Tuesday morning couldn’t get back to the wharf at the usual time, and had to either wait for high tide to return or seek other harbours.
“I’d never seen the tide that low as it was yesterday,” said Ian Gauthier, a fisherman who was stuck offshore for about …