Environment, Energy and Forestry Minister Richard Brown has written to federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea proposing that the two departments partner, along with the University of Prince Edward Island, on a detailed analysis of the problem of anoxia and recommendations to prevent it.
"Anoxia indicates how human activity is harming the health of our rivers and bays,” said the minister. “It is a sign that we have upset the balance of nature in our waterways.”
Anoxia is the absence of oxygen in water caused by a build up of nutrients which causes plants to grow. When the plants die and decay, oxygen is stripped from the water. The water turns milky white or cloudy green and gives off a strong rotten egg odour. The lack of oxygen is often deadly for fish and shellfish.
"All Islanders share a collective responsibility for protecting and enhancing the quality of water on Prince Edward Island." - Environment Minister Richard Brown
Because nutrients enter estuaries from a number of sources including agricultural activity, wastewater management, clear cutting forests and runoff, there are no quick, easy solutions to the problem, said Brown.
"Reducing the amount of nutrients entering our rivers and bays is the most effective way to address to this growing problem,” he said. “It requires long-term solutions and the support of many stakeholders.”
