SHELLFISH HARVEST CLOSURES

June 12, 2003

One of the great attractions of Canada's coastal provinces is the selection of seafood delicacies. Among the favorites are various shellfish such as clams, mussels and oysters, harvested from beaches and rocky coastlines.

Fresh shellfish can be purchased at numerous markets and restaurants throughout the Maritime Provinces, and some people prefer to enjoy harvesting and preparing these delicacies themselves.

When gathering shellfish recreationally, special care must be taken to ensure the harvesting area is open. Shellfish gathered from closed areas can be very harmful to people's health, because the consumption of contaminated shellfish can result in serious illness.

With the objective of protecting public health, the Government of Canada administers the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP), which is jointly run by Environment Canada (EC), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). EC and CFIA routinely monitor the water quality and toxin levels of shellfish, and DFO is responsible for opening and closing harvesting areas based on their recommendations, and for posting and enforcing closed areas. People caught harvesting shellfish in closed areas are subject to penalties imposed by the courts. Maximum penalties in the Region have included up to $5,000 in fines and/or the loss of harvesting privileges.

There are three types of closures for shellfish harvesting areas throughout the Maritimes Region.

1. Bacteriological Pollution Closures:

Most shellfish closures in the Region are a result of bacteriological pollution. Sources of this pollution include municipal sewage discharges, landwash from agricultural areas, wildlife, domestic animals and marine mammals. When people eat shellfish contaminated from bacteriological pollution, they can become very ill with symptoms similar to food poisoning.

2. Natural Biotoxins Closures:

Some shellfish area closures are caused by natural biotoxins produced by tiny marine organisms. The most significant of these is called paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). People who consume shellfish polluted by PSP will experience a numbness or tingling in their lips and tongue, which spreads to the fingers and toes, followed by a loss of muscular co-ordination and the inability to breathe. Another natural biotoxin recently identified in Canadian waters is domoic acid, also known as amnesiac shellfish poisoning (ASP). When a person ingests shellfish contaminated with ASP, symptoms of intoxication will occur, with abdominal cramps and vomiting followed by memory loss and disorientation. Severe intoxication can result in seizures, coma and even death.

3. Conservation Closures:

DFO also has the authority to close any recreational and/or commercial fishing area within the Maritimes Region for conservation reasons.

Due to the serious health risks associated with consuming contaminated shellfish, it's important to prevent potentially hazardous shellfish from reaching the consumer. Information regarding the opening and closing of shellfish areas is conveyed to harvesters and the public through the local media and by the posting of notices in affected areas.

Whether it is for personal consumption or for sale, harvesters have a responsibility to ensure that the shellfish they are harvesting is safe for consumption by harvesting shellfish only in open areas.

Harvesters and consumers can access information about shellfish area openings and closings through the nearest Fisheries and Oceans office listed in local telephone directories.