farmers to use the system for a small fee, sometimes as little as ten cents per load. One of the diggers used in was owned by Walter McLeod , John McLeod , Wilfred MacLean , and Herman MacDougall . The frame was constructed by Neil Angus Gillis . Part of this digger is at the home of Walter McLeod . The digging of mussel mud was prohibited on February 28, 1896, due to the depletion of oysters in the area, as a result of the mussel mud digging near oyster beds. The effects of the usage of mussel mud on the land was undoubtably great. The remains could still be found up to twenty years later in the soils of the land where it was once spread. The cultivation of oysters on the began in 1912, when the Government of Canada made an agreement with the PEI Government to release areas in Orwell River . Each lease that was granted was to be five acres in size and was permitted to run for five years. These leases are presently controlled by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, & Forestry. Any areas which were not leased were open to the public for picking oysters. In Orwell Cove , there was a favourite spot for this, on the "". This spot was a familiar meeting place in past years for the children of the community. Edison MacLean , Mrs. Christine McLeod , Kenneth McLeod , William Brown , Thomas Morrison , Stanley Morrison , and John Hiram MacDonald all had oyster leases in Orwell Cove . But due to the short harvesting season, people picked all sizes of oysters and took them home to be graded, and therefore, many of the small oysters were thrown on the fields, which resulted in the depletion of stocks. This depletion, combined with the mussel mud digging over the years, left large holes caused by the diggers, which made it difficult for this industry to flourish. At this time, oysters can only be picked from a boat with rakes when areas are opened. Aqua Farms Inc. is owned and operated by Robert and Brian Fortune. This mussel processing facility was built in 1988 on a piece of land which juts out into the Orwell River . The following year the facility was expanded to include the processing of oysters, and soft and hard shell clams. Prior to this, the mussel facility purchased clams, quahogs, and oysters from approximately 45-50 independent fishermen. This 28