Prince Edward Island is North America’s top farmed mussel producer, accounting for 80% of all mussels sold. The provincial mussel industry accounts for $60 million in direct economic growth, employing 1,500 Islanders and paying $11 million in salaries. Changing ecosystem conditions and potential variability in the successful collection of naturally spawned seed are the biggest risks to the industry.
An $800,000 venture to create the genomics tools needed to develop a blue mussel selective breeding program for disease and temperature change will make the shellfish resistant to climate change. The initiative is predicted to double production within the next 10 years, from 50 million to 100 million pounds, significantly impacting regional employment and the P.E.I. economy.
In partnership with Genome Atlantic