The P.E.I. cabinet decided on Wednesday that cattle roaming the roads and fields in a community near Montague will be rounded up and held until their owner pays a fine.

'I've said many times they won't do anything until someone's killed.'— Carol Power

The ministers empowered a drover to police the movements of cattle in the area because residents are fed up with a local farmer's apparent unwillingness to contain his herd.

Carol and John Power have been living in Greenfield, near Montague in eastern P.E.I., for 40 years. For the last few years it has not been unusual to see cattle roaming through their fields — unfortunately the cattle aren't theirs.

Carol Power is concerned about safety because the 20 unpenned cattle often wander onto the roads at night.

"I used to work over at a nursing home in Eldon, and came home about 12 o'clock at night, and Johny would have to call me and say, 'Be careful because there's cows on the road,' " she said.

"I've said many times they won't do anything until someone's killed."

Farmers in the area have been complaining for years that the cattle have been trampling their grain and potato fields, and costing them money.

RCMP have charged and fined the owner, Stewart McKenna, 86, under the Stray Livestock Act, but the cattle continue to roam free.

"We're trying to corral the cattle and resolve the situation," said Montague RCMP Const. Russ Stewart.

"The owner of the cattle doesn't seem too interested in resolving the situation himself."

RCMP sent a letter to the Department of Agriculture and the provincial cabinet addressed the issue Wednesday morning.

The drover to be appointed, likely other local farmers, will be in charge of rounding up the cattle and impounding them until the owner pays a fine, or sell the animals if the fine goes unpaid.