Fisheries and Oceans Canada has closed large portions of the Strait of Georgia, from Victoria to Campbell River, to the harvest of clams, oysters, mussels and scallops due to red tide.
Monitoring shows “unusually high levels” of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in the area.
Cooking will not make the shellfish safe to eat.
The public is advised not to purchase shellfish from illegal sources that would not be tested through the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program.
In B.C., all commercially harvested bivalve shellfish must be processed and inspected in a federally registered plant to assure quality control and safety.
Shellfish harvested from open areas, or purchased from restaurants or other licensed vendors, remain safe.
Symptoms include tingling or numbness around the lips within five to 30 minutes, along with headache, dizziness, stiff neck, weakness, rapid pulse and some breathing difficulty. Gastrointestinal symptoms are less common.
At the first sign of symptoms, contact the Poison Control Centre at 1-800-567-8911. Seek medical attention immediately.
