Part of St. Mary’s Bay still closed to shellfish harvesting
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) advises the public that harvesting of bi-valve mollusks except scallops for recreational or commercial purposes is still prohibited in a portion of St. Mary’s Bay.
Coordinates of the closure are that portion of St. Mary’s Bay within a line drawn from Whipple Point, Digby Neck, to the lighthouse at Cape St. Mary’s, and a line drawn from Griffin Cove to Savary Provincial Park.
The closure is due to an increase in levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP or red tide), and PSP levels are high in numerous locations along the coast.
Eating contaminated shellfish can cause serious illness; cooking does not destroy the PSP toxin.
Bivalve mollusks are shellfish with two shells, and includes: oysters, clams (soft shell clams, razor clams, surf clams) mussels, and quahogs (bay and ocean) and whelks.
With all PSP closures, the public is strongly urged to comply with fishing regulations and not harvest any shellfish from these areas.
It is illegal to harvest shellfish from contaminated areas. DFO regularly monitors closed areas to ensure compliance, and to provide enforcement when necessary. Proper documentation must accompany commercially harvested shellfish to demonstrate that it has been harvested legally and inspected appropriately.
DFO is reminding the public that coastal waters are routinely monitored and are closed to shellfish harvesting when toxin levels are too high for safe public consumption. As these rises are unpredictable, detailed control measures must be put in place to ensure that the health and safety of the public is protected. Mollusk harvesting closures are also implemented due to sewage contamination or dioxin levels in some areas.
