Supporting the Prince Edward Island (PEI) Oyster Industry Through Science

Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, announced up to $1 million in funding over the next two years to support scientific research towards addressing knowledge gaps in our understanding of MSX. The Minister also announced a Science Summit on MSX that will occur in Fall 2024, which will gather experts and partners to discuss what we know about MSX as well as priority areas for additional research.

Joint Statement – Detection of MSX in Bedeque Bay, Prince Edward Island

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of multinuclear sphere X (MSX) caused by Haplosporidium nelsoni in wild oyster samples collected in Bedeque Bay, Prince Edward Island (PEI). While MSX prevents oysters from thriving, such as decreased rates of growth and increased oyster mortality, this disease poses no risk to human health, nor does it pose a risk to food safety.