Issue Statement
The establishment of invasive alien species is causing harm (or has the potential to cause harm) to the natural-resource-based industries and ecosystem structure and function of the Bras d’Or Lakes. Of particular concern are MSX disease in oysters, Malpeque disease in oysters, swimbladder parasites in eels, and the European Green Crab. The oyster diseases have effectively wiped out the oyster fishery in the Bras d’Or. Green Crab are suspected of displacing native crab species in their habitat, to prey heavily on bivalves/native crustaceans, and to disrupt eelgrass beds.
