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This article was written by Nancy Russell and originally published by CBC News on Nov 20, 2025 6:00 AM AST. We are sharing the full text here for reference. All rights remain with the original publisher. 

Shellfish association says support needed for those who want to keep fishing

P.E.I.’s oyster industry is grappling with two diseases, MSX and dermo, which can be devastating to oyster populations. (Aaron Adetuyi/CBC)

The province has announced it will be putting $1.3 million towards two new assistance programs for Prince Edward Island’s wild oyster fishers.

But the president of the P.E.I. Shellfish Association said many of his members want to stay in the industry, despite the challenges posed by MSX and dermo.

The industry is grappling with those two diseases, which are not harmful for humans but can be devastating to oyster populations.

One of the new programs, the Oyster Fishers Training Fund, offers financial support for tuition and living expenses while fishers are retraining for other jobs.

The Employment Support Program for Oyster Fishers provides wage subsidies of up to $8,000 per individual to employers who hire fishermen.

An oyster fisher on the Pinette River in P.E.I. (Aaron Adetuyi/CBC)

“They’re good announcements, but they both kind of take people out of the industry,” said P.E.I. Shellfish Association president Bob MacLeod. “But what about the people that want to stay in the industry? If we all walked away from the industry, it’s going to be done.”

MacLeod said some younger fishermen may be interested in the programs, but many of the wild oyster fishers have been in the industry for most of their lives.

“A lot of the people in this industry are in their 60s and there’s people in their 70s,” he said.

“To retrain, to start a new career at this age is not that easy. You have 40 or 50 years into this. This is your whole life. To just walk away and go start something different, it’s not that easy to do.”

‘We don’t want to be paid to stay home’

MacLeod said he would like to see a program that will help fishers like him, who want to continue when the season opens again in the spring.

Bob MacLeod, president of the P.E.I. Shellfish Association, says there needs to be support for fishers who want to stay in the industry. (Jane Robertson/CBC)

He said the impact of MSX and dermo will be felt throughout western Prince Edward Island, where the oyster industry contributes to the entire economy — from grocery stores to welding shops to gas stations.

“We want to keep the buyers in business, we want to keep their workers working and we want to be able to keep working,” MacLeod said.

“We don’t want to be paid to stay home. We want to be able to fish.”