Several support programs are coming for New Brunswick’s oyster industry.
Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Fisheries Minister Pat Finnigan announced on Monday the province was introducing six support programs to help oyster producers affected by the MSX and dermo diseases.
The programs include workforce, financial, research and industry stabilization measures that will be delivered in collaboration with partners and stakeholders, and amount to a combined investment of over $12 million.
In a press release, Minister Finnigan said the oyster industry is “incredibly important” to New Brunswick’s coastal economy.
“Our government is taking action now to help stabilize the sector, support workers and producers, and position the industry for long-term recovery and adaptation,” he added.
The government’s measures include:
- An employment retention support of up to $8 million over three years through WorkingNB, which will help producers retain skilled workers in heavily affected areas while supporting training related to biosecurity and disease response.
- A shellfish quality intervention fund of up to $3.5 million, administered by the Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries department to help producers most affected by oyster mortalities with inventory losses, site clean up and operational costs.
- A business recovery support fund of up to $256,000 to provide free individualized financial diagnostic services to producers, and help them assess operational impacts, identify risks and evaluate options for business continuity and adaptation
- An additional funding of $250,000 annually to expand disease surveillance and proactively monitor MSX and dermo in oyster-producing bays across the province.
- $100,000 to participate in research with the Canadian Atlantic Shellfish Network, a collaborative Atlantic Canadian initiative focused on research, surveillance and information sharing related to MSX and dermo diseases.
The industry generated $35.7 million in farm gate value 2024 and supports about 650 seasonal jobs in rural, coastal, and Indigenous communities across the province.
Finnigan added that he recognizes the challenges the sector has gone through in the past couple of years due to oyster diseases and said the department will continue to work closely with the industry, federal partners, and stakeholders to support the long-term sustainability of the sector.
Post-Secondary Education and Trainning Minister Jean Claude D’Armous said in the release that at least 26 companies have been in contact with WorkingNB.
He added that the agency is also committed to helping every company affected by the disease.
“This is a difficult time for people in the oyster industry, but there are people and financial resources in place for those who need help,” he said.
