P.E.I. farm ordered to change the way it uses shellfish waste

P.E.I.'s Farm Practices Review Board has ruled against a West Prince farm after complaints about how shellfish waste was being used on its fields.

Local residents complained about the smell from Westech Agriculture, near Alberton, and an investigation found there was also a proliferation of flies.

At a hearing into the complaints, a panel of the board noted that the use of shellfish waste and other marine-based fertilizers is historically a common practice on P.E.I. The issue, the board ruled, is not the use of the material, but how it was being used.

"The stockpiling of these products near residences, along with land application without swift soil incorporation, is unacceptable as a farm practice," the board's ruling reads.

"The facts presented in this care are not normal in the agricultural sector."

The panel issued two orders:

• Shellfish waste must be fully incorporated into soil within 24 hours of application.
• If short-term storage is necessary, stockpiles must be at least 1.5 kilometres from a residence and must not cause environmental problems.

The panel noted shellfish waste and seaweed are significantly different from manure, and that guidelines for the use of manure do not apply.

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