(Summerside) The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says the presence of a “worrisome” parasite has been confirmed in at least one area of Prince Edward Island and samples from several oyster farms have been sent for analysis.
Danielle Williams, a CFIA technical disease specialist, said the parasite called multinucleated sphere X – or MSX – has been confirmed in Bedeque Bay on the province’s south shore.
“We haven’t determined the extent of the spread yet, but it’s concerning. It’s very concerning,” she said in an interview Monday.
Several other sites are “suspected” of being infested with the parasite and have been placed under quarantine while the investigation continues to confirm its presence, including a suspected case in Malpeque Bay on the province’s north coast.
“We found another location in the Malpeque area and so we have a couple of locations under quarantine right now,” Mr.me Williams.
What we did was if a location was suspect, we quarantined it until the test results were completed.
Danielle Williams, CFIA Technical Disease Specialist
She added that the pest likes to stay in “small pockets of areas” and if scientists are able to identify it quickly and stop it from moving further, they can limit the damage to the industry.
The parasite affects the growth of oysters and increases their mortality, but MSX does not pose any risk to human health.
Typically, cultured oysters take about three years to reach market size. The CFIA says mortality rates due to disease can be as high as 90 to 95 per cent in older oysters.
The CFIA said MSX has been found in Nova Scotia and British Columbia before, but this is the first time it has been detected in Prince Edward Island waters.
Tests confirmed the presence of the parasite earlier this month after the province reported a “significant” die-off of oysters in Bedeque Bay this spring.
Economic impacts
Cory Deagle, Prince Edward Island’s fisheries minister, called the presence of MSX in Bedeque Bay oysters “devastating news.”
It’s not just about the impact on our oyster industry, it’s also about the livelihoods of Islanders, their families and our communities.
Cory Deagle, Prince Edward Island Minister of Fisheries
“This is the first time we have encountered MSX in our province. Although MSX has been the subject of much research over the years, scientists, researchers and fishermen around the world still do not understand how the disease is spread. It will take time before we know the full extent of the impact on our industry,” he said in a statement last week.
A provincial government study indicates that in 2019, Prince Edward Island accounted for 32% of the national economic value of oysters, or about $54 million, making it one of the largest producers in Canada.
Peter Warris, executive director of the PEI Aquaculture Alliance, said oyster farmers are “very concerned” about the presence of MSX, which they have been dreading for years. “So it’s bad news that it’s finally here,” he said.
Fishermen have not yet seen any significant mortality, he said, stressing that it is an evolving situation. “I think everybody is taking a little pause in their activities while we wait to see the results of the tests, to see where this has spread.”
A Connecticut Department of Agriculture publication states that MSX caused a mass die-off of oysters in Delaware Bay in 1957 and, two years later, in Chesapeake Bay.
The parasite has been found in the United States from Florida to Maine, but not all areas have been associated with oyster deaths, the report said.
Mr Warris believes it is possible to have a thriving oyster industry despite the MSX. “The industry will adapt to the new circumstances,” he predicted.