Fishermen concerned Ingonish sewer outfall will affect harbour livelihoods

Fishermen say a pipe expected to carry treated sewage into the harbour at Ingonish Ferry, N.S., could have a big impact on their business.

But Victoria County officials say the wastewater system is needed for commercial and residential development and government regulators say the project meets federal and provincial rules.

Matthew Smith, whose family has been fishing out of Ingonish Ferry for generations, said the problem is the harbour does not flush out easily.

"Our water, it doesn't move in this harbour," he said. "It just circulates. This is a bathtub, for a lack of better terms."

Smith has used his fishing boat's sonar to create a three-dimensional map of the harbour.

It shows the basin is more than 20 metres deep, but its connection to the Atlantic Ocean is only four metres deep.

Smith said that means the tide will not diffuse effluent from sewage treatment very well.

He said fishermen aren't opposed to development or sewage treatment but the outfall should go out in the ocean.

Victoria County is building the $15-million sewage treatment plant to accommodate development at Ski Cape Smokey, where Cape Smokey Holdings is building 74 condominium units at the foot of its ski hill.

It also has plans for a hotel, brewery and more condo units.

The treatment plant is still under construction, with a pipe running out into the harbour.

The outfall is next to where Smith and others regularly set lobster traps and is less than a kilometre from Smith's lobster pound.

He stores his catch in cages in the harbour while waiting for a buyer.

Fisherman Stewart Whitty also has a lobster pound on the opposite shore but said he draws harbour water not far from the outfall to keep his catch alive.