Possible Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning Puts Hold on Harvests in Vancouver Island Coasts

Because of the potential for paralytic shellfish poisoning along the coasts of Vancouver Island, harvesting areas are currently prohibited by law. According to officials, the risk of contamination has increased as a result of the prolonged drought.

Due to contamination, Canadian authorities are advising the public about the prohibitions of harvesting shellfish close to Barkley Sound, off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Intense rainfall following a protracted drought in the region, according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), has raised health and safety concerns, including the potential for paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Anyone who has just finished harvesting in the area shouldn't eat them because cooking won't get rid of the toxins that cause the disease.

Symptoms of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning

Paralytic shellfish poisoning symptoms, which include tingling or numbness of the face, lips, mouth, arms, and legs, weakness, dizziness, paralysis, and respiratory failure, can appear anywhere between 30 minutes and three hours after consumption of contaminated shellfish.

Officials are recommending anyone who becomes ill seek urgent medical attention because it can also be fatal.

To ensure that people are informed of the closure, the DFO reports that fisheries officers will be monitoring the area. It will be in force for a minimum of seven days. Once the ban is lifted, the department will publish a notice, CBC News reports.

Shellfish Contamination Closures

The harvesting and consumption of British Columbian bivalve shellfish is a long-standing tradition, however, it must be done safely, according to the Government of Canada. Harvesting shellfish from a closed section is against the law and dangerous. Consuming contaminated shellfish can leave a person seriously ill and even put their lives in danger.

Clams, scallops, oysters, mussels, and other bivalve shellfish have two shells that can open and close. They are extremely sensitive to the marine environment's water quality. Because they obtain their food by filtering microbes from the water, dangerous bacteria, viruses, and marine biotoxins can accumulate in their tissues and cause illness in those who consume them.

The smell, taste, or appearance of contaminated shellfish may not differ from that of uncontaminated shellfish. Furthermore, cooking shellfish doesn't always necessarily render all biotoxins harmless.

For reasons of public health or conservation, harvesting restrictions change frequently throughout the year. This means that before going out to fish, people must always confirm if the species, as well as the area they wanted to harvest in, are open or not prohibited areas.

Shellfish Harvesting Status Map

An accessible map called the "Shellfish Harvesting Status Map" can be used to find out where in British Columbia shellfish harvesting is prohibited.

Fisheries & Oceans Canada, the reliable source for this information, provides the sanitary and biotoxin status of the different areas.

According to the recent Shellfish Harvesting Status Map update, most of Vancouver Island's coasts are closed to shellfish harvesting. Most are under biotoxin closure, some under sanitary closure, while a few are considered restricted or prohibited areas where harvesting any species of shellfish is deemed unsafe.