A group of Maritime delegates are visiting New England for a week to learn how they've dealt with a deadly oyster disease that could have devastating consequences for Atlantic Canada's aquaculture industry.
MSX, or Multinucleate Sphere X, is caused by a microscopic parasite that kills oysters. The disease decimated Nova Scotia's aquaculture industry in 2001. Executive Director of Nova Scotia's aquaulture industry, Bruce Hancock, says New England has developed fast-growing oyster strains that are also MSX-resistant. Hancock says the cost of the disease in Atlantic Canada is about a million dollars a year.
The aquaculture associations of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are leading a group of about 16 researchers, industry delegates and government officials. The group will travel to Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island to talk about technology and policy approaches against MSX.
The disease poses no threat to humans.
The Queen Square Farmers Market is getting plugged in. Organizer Jody Kliffer tells CHSJ News the market is finally getting an electrical hook-up.
Kliffer believes it's going to have a positive impact on the market. He says electricity means the market can offer a wider variety of hot food items for sale.
The market occasionally used generators in the past, but Kliffer says they're clunky, noisy and emit gas fumes. He says it wasn't in the spirit of the market.
Now, he says, vendors only need to bring an extension cord to get electricity flowing to their stand. Today's market runs until 2 o'clock this afternoon.
