Three senior members of the Prince Edward Island shellfish industry were honoured Friday for their long standing contribution to the industry.
Marne Lewis, Ernie Beagan and Russell Dockendorff Senior are the first recipients of the Provincial Minister's Shellfish Recognition Award.
The awards were presented at the official opening of the PEI International Shellfish Festival at Peake's Wharf.
In a news release announcing the award recipients, Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment Kevin J. MacAdam extended congratulations to the three men.
"This award is designed to give much-deserved recognition to the people who have been instrumental in developing the quality reputation PEI shellfish enjoys around the world, and these gentlemen certainly fit that bill," the minister said.
"I am truly delighted to recognize the contribution they have made to their industry. It is through the dedication and hard work of people like Mr. Lewis, Mr. Beagan and Mr. Dockendorff that the Island shellfish industry is what it is today - the most rapidly growing sector in the PEI fishery."
While the contributions the three award recipients have made to the industry over the years varies, one thing they have in common is they have all been on the water a number of years and they all continue to fish to this day.
Marne Lewis began his fishing career at the age of 20 and today, at the age of 82, the Cascumpec resident is still fishing oysters and other shellfish. Mr. Lewis received his first oyster leases in 1948 and has taken pride in developing his oyster grounds over the years. He packed and shipped his own product for years and helped build the name of the now world-famous Malpeque oysters. He was also one of the first fishermen to harvest and can mussels for export.
A father of four, grandfather of 10 and great grandfather of four, Mr. Lewis has just retired his wooden oyster dory - to replace it with a fibreglass dory.
Ernie Beagan started fishing oysters more than 50 years ago, packing and exporting his product to markets in Montreal. In the 1960s, he built a processing plant on the Hillsborough River. Mr. Beagan was instrumental in the formation of the PEI Oyster Fishermen's Association, now known as the PEI Shellfish Association. He served as the inaugural president in 1972 and worked cooperatively with government agencies to establish oyster development programs.
At the age of 77, Mr. Beagan is still fishing today and plans to continue to fish a few years yet.
Russell Dockendorff entered the fishery in 1967 at the age of 40 and in 1978 began growing cultivated mussels. His first mussel lease was in his home community of St. Peters Bay. He acquired additional mussel leases in the early 1980s and moved into a processing plant at Red Head Harbour in 1982.
In 1996, at the age of 68, Mr. Dockendorff took the plunge and built a modern processing plant, one of the first to diversify into value-added mussels. Currently, his company PEI Mussel Farms grows mussels on nearly 1,300 acres of water and employs close to 50 people, mostly from his community. He credits his success to the hard work of his family and the employees in the company.
Mr. Dockendorff has also been very involved in addressing needs in his community.
The Provincial Minister's Shellfish Recognition Award will be presented each year as part of the PEI International Shellfish Festival.
This year's festival continues at Peake's Wharf throughout the weekend. Now in its fifth year, the event provides a wonderful showcase for PEI shellfish with events such as the cooking demonstrations, oyster shucking competitions, and the Great Paderno Chowder Challenge, combined with top Island entertainment.
Revenues from sales of Island shellfish at the festival assist the PEI Shellfish Association and the PEI Aquaculture Alliance in the work they carry out on behalf of the industry year- round.