I am heading to Vancouver Island in September and was hoping to do some mussel and clam harvesting. I noticed I looked at the bivalve harvesting map and it looks like basically the whole coast of British Columbia is closed to harvesting bivalves . Is this really true? It seems strange that year after year we’d have a constant red tide!
Harvesting Bivalves
- Thread starter Stonegoat
- Start date
cambrowne
Member
My understanding is that they only open areas that they test. They only test in a few areas close to commercial harvesting areas (mostly the east side of Van island). There are many remote areas where they have never tested and never will, so they keep them closed. Quite frustrating.... In the end, a lot of people in remote communities just take matters into their own hands.
scott craven
Well-Known Member
Anywhere even close to a community by the ocean is closed.
It's not red tide, it's fecal coliform that closes most digging/picking.
It's not red tide, it's fecal coliform that closes most digging/picking.
sly_karma
Crew Member
It's more nuanced than that. Biotoxin ("red tide") closure is the blanket one in effect everywhere unless tested. Sanitary closures have varying dates and affect more species.
Shellfish Harvesting Status Map
The Shellfish Harvesting Status Map will allow you to identify BC shellfish harvesting closures in your area.
Our family are in this latter category, on carefully selected sites and species.
MacDuff
Active Member
Agreed, it's local knowledge here in remote northwest parts of WCVI.It's more nuanced than that. Biotoxin ("red tide") closure is the blanket one in effect everywhere unless tested. Sanitary closures have varying dates and affect more species.
Shellfish Harvesting Status Map
The Shellfish Harvesting Status Map will allow you to identify BC shellfish harvesting closures in your area.www.bccdc.ca
Our family are in this latter category, on carefully selected sites and species.
sly_karma
Crew Member
... and sanitary closures too, all those nice cruising boats dumping tanks while at anchor. Look at all the popular anchorages on the map and you'll see what I mean. Concentration of housing on the foreshore would be a factor too, but I see plenty of places where there are homes but no sanitary closure.
If you read carefully through the list of species listed in the biotoxin closure, Littleneck and Manila clams and Pacific oysters aren't shown, but they do appear in the sanitary closures. These species sit on or just below the surface; perhaps daily UV is sufficient to prevent biotoxin buildup.
jackfish
Active Member
you really have to get into the details of the closures and areas. FishingBC app is pretty good. Its complicated to figure out what bivalves are open/closed in the summer if you are reading online. winter is pretty easy, as its mostly safe except for the (un)sanitary regions like marinas, etc.
for example, right now mussels are open in area 14-8, and some clams are closed but not all. Just an example.
I don't know why DFO makes it so hard to figure out the regs.
for example, right now mussels are open in area 14-8, and some clams are closed but not all. Just an example.
I don't know why DFO makes it so hard to figure out the regs.
Couldn't agree more. Whoever came up with the format and wording used by DFO is a clown. With how confusing the regs and closures are online, I wouldn't be surprised if people have died or gotten really sick as a result of misinterpreting the regs.
Your best bet is to call the hotline and speak to a person (1-866-431-3474). They can lay it out for you plain and simple and then you will know for certain you are harvesting somewhere safe.
Thank you so much for that info! I didn't know this app existed and at first glance it looks really easy to use and understand.
Cheers!
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