Warning: sport harvested mussel quarantine extended

[OCdiving Deb]

Quarantine for Sport Harvested Mussels EXTENDED INDEFINITELY along the ENTIRE CALIFORNIA COAST due to elevated levels of toxins that can cause illness and death.

This quarantine is normally limited to May 1 through October 31, but was extended this year. Do not eat sport harvested bivalves including mussels, clams, oysters and SCALLOPS until further notice. For more information, you can call the shellfish information line at 1-800-553-4133. http://www.ocbeachinfo.com/

You may also get more detailed information from the DFG website at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/pressrelease_103003.html I thought it interesting that sometimes spiny lobster have been found to have elevated levels of domoic acid. (See next to last paragraph of DFG notice). There are NO current warnings about spiny lobster that I found. Monterey currently has additional restrictions on some fish species.

I sent this out to the San Diego and Orange Divebums listservs this morning. If you want to subscribe to the OC Divebums listserv, send an email to orange-request@divebums.com and type subscribe in the subject field. We share non-commercial info related to Orange County diving.

kelphelper AKA Debbie Karimoto

 

[Mo2vation]

On a recent trip (last weekend) some guys were pulling up Scallops...lot of them. I like them to.

Bummer...

 

[OCdiving Deb]

The good news is that you can still eat your store and market-bought bivalves. (Not as much fun, I know!) It is only sport-harvested scallops, clams, etc. that are quarantined. If no one in your group became ill, consider yourselves lucky and hope for a resolution to the toxic levels soon!

kelphelper

 

[Arnaud]

The PR states:

The quarantine applies only to sport-harvested mussels. Commercial shellfish harvesters in California must be certified by the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) and are subjected to stringent sample testing for toxins. Commercial harvesting is stopped immediately if a potentially dangerous level of toxin is found.

Obviously, they haven't stopped commercial harvesting, i.e. the level of toxin is not high enough. Why would it be higher for sport-harvested mussels?



Where is Ah-nold when we need him?

 

[OCdiving Deb]

The quarantine is over on sport-harvested mussels, until next time, that is!

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/pressrelease_112103.html

kelphelper