A Potters Pond Campylobacter outbreak has closed the area, which is used for shellfish harvesting, in Rhode Island after seven people got sick with the bacterial infection, according to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). Potters Pond is located in South Kingston, Rhode Island. The pond is … Read more
Beaches in Washington state have been closed to shellfish harvesting because officials have found okadaic acid, which causes Diarrhetic Shellfish Poison (DSP), in some tested shellfish. The toxin was found at unsafe levels in shellfish samples taken as part of routine sampling. The closure covers clams, oysters, mussels, geoduck, and scallops. The toxin is produced … Read more
Oceana is calling on the Obama administration to require the use of improved Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) to save sea turtles and reduce wasted seafood. These devices are metal grates inserted into shrimp nets that allow the turtles and other wildlife to escape. Many shrimp boats in the Southwest have been forced to use TEDs … Read more
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has temporarily closed shellfishing areas in the Town of Huntington in Suffolk County after reports of foodborne illness. Lab tests have found that a “number of illnesses” were caused by the bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which is naturally occurring. The ban is effective starting Friday, September 5, 2014. This precautionary … Read more
The Maine Department of Marine Resources has closed a seven square mile area at the mouth of the Penobscot River to crab and lobster harvest for a minimum of two years. This closure will take effect February 22, 2014. Commissioner Patrick Keliher said, “this closure is being taken as a precautionary measure in response to … Read more
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is telling consumers not to eat recreationally harvested mussels, clams, or whole scallops from two areas because the shellfish may have dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins. The regions are Monterey Bay and Inner Tomales Bay in Marin County. This warning is in addition to the … Read more
Shellfish harvesting areas near public beaches in Washington state have been closed to recreational and sport harvest due to the dangers of fecal contamination and marine biotoxins. Commercial harvesting may also be restricted based on selective testing, according to state health authorities. In addition, some areas have been listed as “threatened” meaning they are reaching … Read more