P.E.I. fisherman says MSX parasite impact on oysters ‘devastating,' calls for government support

CTV News

12-05-2025

A parasite discovered in Canadian waters is causing destruction to oysters in P.E.I. Sarah Plowman reports.
In Bedeque Bay, the backbone of P.E.I.'s spring oyster fishing industry, most oysters are dead.
Normally, there would be thousands of oysters there, said Bob MacLeod, president of PEI Shellfish Association. But a recent, nearly three hour survey of the area by fishermen and the province found only thirty live oysters.
'Basically, it's wiped out,' said Macleod. 'It's devastating.'
It was in Bedeque Bay where the parasite multinucleate sphere unknown, known as MSX, was first detected in July 2024.
MSX is harmless to people and poses no risk to human health but it's deadly for oysters, with a high mortality rate.
Macleod approximated that 10,000-12,000 boxes of oysters would've been fished out of the Bedeque area last year.
Trouble in those waters has sent the 70 fishermen who'd typically be there daily, elsewhere.
Bedeque Bay
It was in Bedeque Bay where the parasite MSX was first detected in July 2024.
'It's putting an awful lot of pressure on other little rivers,' he said, noting he's heard of one spot that usually only has seven or eight dories, but last week had thirty.
'Come June, I'm fearful for what they're going to be fishing.'
MSX is now widespread across P.E.I. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says scientific evidence has shown it's already present or highly likely to be present in most marine waterways across the province.
'With the spring oyster fishery now reopening, we're beginning to see firsthand the impacts, such as high oyster mortalities,' the agency said in a statement.
Oysters are a vital part of the province's economy and tourism.
Zack Bell, P.E.I.'s Minister of Fisheries, Sport, Tourism and Culture, said in 2023, the industry generated about $24 million with a $47.5 million economic value for the province.
Bell said Bedeque Bay area is probably the hardest hit spot but he's hearing reports from Percival River and Lennox channel.
'There are some areas where there is very little prevalence. But it is pretty much island wide,' said Bell.
Some oyster farms hit too
In Bideford, P.E.I., the Hardy family is dealing with more than a million dead oysters due to MSX and they expect to find more. Gordon Hardy and his family have dumped them out onto a long driveway that's currently coated with dead oysters.
'It's pretty devastating. We've been trying to pick all the dead ones out and keep the alive ones,' said Bradley Hardy, Gordon's son who's been helping his dad but also has his own dead oysters to sort through.
Gordon said he has 200 lines of oysters at his farm and despite finding an estimated 1.2 million dead oysters in the past week, he's only sorted through about 15 per cent of what he grows.
He estimates he's lost about $500,000 worth of oysters so far.
'The one's that I'm saving, I'm worried are they going to live or are they going to grow?' said Gordon. 'It's stressful. It's the future that I'm worried about.'
Bradley wants to remind Canadians they can still eat P.E.I.'s oysters despite MSX, they just won't be able to grow as many.
'They're still just as good as they were. And they're safe to eat,' he said.
Oysters
The Hardy family dumped the oysters out onto a long driveway that's currently coated with dead oysters.
Calls for more support from Ottawa
Macleod said the situation is stressful for fishermen who need government support.
'The provincial government is trying to help us the best they can, but we need some federal support, really and truly. And that's something we're not getting,' said Macleod.
'This is no fault of any fishermen, what's happening here. This is a disease we have no control over. And our fishery is going down fast, and we're not really seeing anything in the form of help that we really need to get us through this.'
In its latest budget, the P.E.I. government set aside $3 million for a contingency fund to support the industry.
Minister Bell called it 'a start'
'It's also going to take a lot of help from our federal partners,' said Bell. 'Whether it's Service Canada or whether it's DFO, we will need some funding.'
Bell explained that fishermen's EI is linked to their catch and not specific to their hours worked.
'So, I think that that's something that's going to have to be looked at, because unfortunately, some fishers are going out and they're not going to be able to get maybe the same catch as they had last year,' said Bell.
CTV News reached out to Service Canada for comment but has yet to receive a response.
A spokesperson with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans noted Ottawa has announced about a million dollars on research to determine how to resist MSX.
It's unknown how the disease spreads but has long existed in the U.S.' East Coast where disease-resistant breeding has helped that industry adapt and now thrive.
'I think the immediate solution is to try to get some animals, some seed, some resistant seed in production as quickly as possible,' said Ryan Carnegie, a professor with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Professor and Batten School of William and Mary.
Macleod said the PEI Shellfish Association has been approved to set up a nursery to grow MSX-resistant oyster seed and they're working to get it in place.
He thinks P.E.I. needs more new hatcheries.
'We need hatcheries, and we need hatcheries bad,' Macleod said.
Bell said the province does have a hatchery but said it might not be going at its capacity.
'But we are working with that hatchery. We also use a hatchery in New Brunswick that has supplied a lot of seed here to the province of P.E.I.. And again, we want to make sure that we do it right,' he said.