Tag Archives: Bee Islets Growers Corporation

Forests, Rivers & Oceans

Environmental concerns about the Gorge Harbour log dump

When a large volume of logs were dumped in Gorge Harbour, during the 1970s and 80s, they caused extensive damage to the underwater environment.

One of the questions raised at Mosaic’s Cortes Island ZOOM meeting, last January, revolved around the possibility that reactivating the log dump could also have negative impacts. Mike Moore dove beneath the log dump about fifteen years ago. At that time, he observed a thick layer of wood debris and sediments, covered by ‘bacterial mats.’ Moore was concerned about the possibility a new disturbance of the sediments could pollute nearby shellfish operations. 

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Housing

Gorge Harbour Marina provides some housing relief for Cortes Island with “liveaboards”


CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

Bill Dougan says the Gorge Harbour Marina had 14 boats with liveaboards at the dock this winter. As one of the managers at the resort, he says lately there have been more people looking to live aboard their boat at the dock than he has space for, owing in part to Cortes Island’s current housing shortage.

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Rivers & Oceans

Sea Stars – Wolves of the Ocean floor

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Kelly Fretwell from the Hakai Institute recently described sea stars as wolves of the ocean floor.

The topic came up when I mentioned that they prey upon the oysters in Gorge Harbour, on Cortes Island. 

Julia Rendall, President of the Bee Islets Growers Corporation, said they normally eat about a third of her crop. The bottom clusters are “all chewed, eaten.”  She remembers the summer that Sea Star Wasting Disease reached the Gorge.

“That was the year I had the very best harvest, for shuck oysters,” said Rendall … I got about $8,000 a raft instead of $5,000.”

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Rivers & Oceans

Cleaning up shellfish growing areas on Cortes and East Redonda Islands

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is cleaning up some of the shellfish growing areas in our area.

Erik Lyon, of Rising Tide Shellfish, believes the clean-ups may be connected to the fact aquaculture licenses in this area will come up for renewal in 2025

DFO has not yet returned Cortes Currents initial query, but Lyon is working on extensive clean-ups on Cortes and East Redonda Islands. 

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Rivers & Oceans

Scallops are for sale on Cortes Island

Scallops are for sale on Cortes Island

Yesterday morning, Erik Lyon, of Rising Tide Shellfish reported, “For the first time, this morning we will be selling scallops off the dock. While supplies last, there will be scallops available at the Gorge Harbour store. Tell all your friends. We’ve got a quarter million of them, so there is plenty to go around.” 

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