An ice-breaking quest for fresh, local, responsible oysters with Five Star Shellfish.

Whether it was fate or good fortune, we found Troy, our now-resident sustainable seafood seeker who, having been raised by a veteran fisherman in a small village off the coast of Prince Edward Island, may just know more about shellfish than we do about rooftop farming.

Since we first brought Troy on board, he’s searched coast to coast to bring Lufavores everything from classic haddock and salmon to lesser-known and super sustainable gems like whelks, lingcod, and rockfish. And of course his quest wouldn't be complete without oysters from his home province of PEI.

An epic midwinter haul of fresh PEI oysters from the icy Conway Narrows Strait.

To send us wild oysters year-round, Five Star Shellfish relies on the expertise of some 500 independent local fishermen (including Troy's father) who, during the warmer months, harvest the shellfish with special oyster rakes that ensure minimal disruption of the marine ecosystem and prevent accidental by-catch.

In preparation for Lufavores to enjoy fresh-from-the-water oysters year round, the crew brings the catches to shore where they’re tagged with a geo-tracker and resubmerged in the bay before winter hits. Once the thick layer of ice sets during the colder months, the oysters are fished to order from the water through a large hole cut in the ice. They're then brought to shore and sent out that same day, with the first oysters arriving just three days after they've left the water.

We recruited Katrina Kuzmine, a PEI local and photographer, to capture Five Star’s most recent ice-breaking haul for us. Take a look at the photos below for a little foray into the heart of winter shellfishing.

From left to right: local fisherman Rodney Doucette, co-owners and brothers Gordon and Wyatt Jeffery, and Dylan MacMillan, another local fisherman helping for the day outside the Five Star Shellfish homebase in Prince County, PEI.

When the orders come in, the fishermen grab their GPS and head onto the ice to find the submerged pallets.

Once located, they get to work cutting through the ice using an electric saw that’s even lubricated with olive or sunflower oil so as not to pollute the water.

Since a thick layer of ice isn't exactly light, the ice is cut in smaller sections and removed one by one until a large enough hole is created for the oyster pallet to fit through.

An A-frame structure is then set up over the hole with a rope tether and a winch that will pull the pallet up from some twenty feet below the surface.

The oysters are then loaded onto a sled and towed to shore.

Once on shore at Five Star’s headquarters, they're sorted and given a thorough cleaning before being packaged and sent to Lufavores.

The entire process is done in a day, from oyster pulling to packing to order, for less waste and maximal freshness. The name of the game in responsible oyster fishing.