How disease-resistant oyster seed can help the struggling P.E.I. industry

The PEI Aquaculture Alliance speaks about the status of the oyster stock after two parasitic diseases hit the region.

Prince Edward Island’s oyster industry continues to be hard hit by two parasitic diseases, but officials say there is hope on the way.

MSX (also known as multinucleate sphere unknown) was found in Bedeque Bay in July 2024. While the aquatic disease does not pose a health risk to humans, it can lower the growth rates of oysters and increase their mortality.

In July 2025, Dermo (also known as Perkinsosis), which poses similar risks to oysters, was found in Egmont Bay.

Peter Warris, the executive director of the PEI Aquaculture Alliance, says the situation in some areas of the province is “pretty dire” right now.

“We’re seeing high levels of mortality through last winter, up to 100 per cent in some cases for all three-year classes,” he told Your Morning Atlantic’s Crystal Garrett.

Despite fears the diseases could reshape Canada’s second largest oyster-producing province, Warris says the industry is “resilient.”

To help, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has approved the import of disease-resistant oyster seed and broodstock from the United States.

“The industry just needs to be supported until disease-resistant seed is available... and they’re also working on developing disease resistancy locally,” Warris said.

Last month, both the federal and provincial governments announced new supports for the sector. Ottawa has budgeted more than $4.2 million while the P.E.I. government has committed more than $12 million.

Warris believes the funding could have a strong impact, but not for everybody.

“There are big varieties across how the oyster industry is structured. For some of our smaller members, and some of the public fishermen as well, there are other supports that are needed and we’re certainly going to be continuing to talk with the province and the federal government about it,” he said.

Warris says selective breeding programs are also needed to help revive the sector.

“So just like the dairy industry selected the cows who produced the best milk or the grain industry selected plants that grow the best grain, we need oysters that are resistant to MSX and Dermo,” he said.

“Luckily, the U.S. oyster industry has been working on this for decades now and they have been very open and generous with the expertise.”

However, a return to local production levels could take time as oysters take approximately three years to grow to market size.

“There still are oysters here on P.E.I. where some areas haven’t been as hard hit, so there are still oysters being grown here, being fished here, but the seed is coming in this year, that will be three years,” said Warris.

“We’ll see more seed next year and the year after and our members will gradually get back into that regular farming schedule, so it’s going to be a few years, but the industry just needs some support to get back on its feet and transition to this new way of doing things.”

For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.