New Brunswick’s provincial government has announced programs to help oyster producers as the industry deals with disease affecting the animals.

MSX (multinucleate sphere unknown) and dermo diseases do not affect human health or food safety, the province notes, but they do kill oysters.

The diseases have been increasing mortalities in the oyster population and Agriculture Minister Pat Finnigan says the issue has grown fast and furiously.

“A lot of growers were caught with this with no way to recover and get to next year, so we had to be very quick in finding some support,” he said.