Toxic algae bloom off West Coast might be largest ever

[agentaqua]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...ff-west-coast-might-be-largest-ever-1.3116914

Toxic algae bloom off West Coast might be largest ever

Unusually large bloom has already triggered 1 shellfish closure off Vancouver Island

By Victoria Cavaliere, Thomson Reuters Posted: Jun 17, 2015 8:01 AM PT| Last Updated: Jun 17, 2015 8:01 AM PT

A previous toxic algae bloom is shown in this image from the Washington State Department of Ecology Marine Monitoring Unit. ( Washington State Department of Ecology Marine Monitoring Unit)

A toxic algae bloom in the Pacific Ocean stretching from California north to B.C. might be the largest ever detected off the West Coast, according to scientists in California.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is also monitoring the unusually large bloom, which has already resulted in the closure of one fisheries area off Vancouver Island just north of Tahsis.

But DFO scientist Ian Perry said most areas are not at levels that would raise health concerns.
■DFO Pacific Region: full list of shellfish closures http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/contamination/biotox/index-eng.html

The bloom, which first appeared in May, involves microscopic algae that produce a neurotoxin potentially fatal to humans called domoic acid, according to researchers at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Levels of domoic acid in California's Monterey Bay are some of the highest scientists have ever observed, Raphael Kudela, professor of ocean sciences at the Santa Cruz campus, said in a statement.

"The domoic acid levels are extremely high right now in Monterey Bay, and the event is occurring as far north as Washington state," he said.

"It appears this will be one of the most toxic and spatially largest events we've had in at least a decade."

Health concerns over seafood

Researchers are concerned that shellfish and other marine life, including razor clams, crabs, hake and West Coast sardines, could have elevated levels of domoic acid, a neurotoxin that causes amnesic shellfish poisoning, also known as ASP.

Unlike the more common PSP syndrome, which is resposible for shellfish closures off the close of B.C. in the summer months, ASP also affects fish, which can then poison humans and other mammals that eat the affected fish.

The acid has been responsible for several deaths and has sickened more than 100 people, according to the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Fish and shellfish can accumulate the toxin without ill effect, the agency said, but in humans it crosses into the brain and interferes with nerve signal transmission.

Earlier this month, Washington authorities closed crab fishing from the border with Oregon through southern Washington because of elevated marine toxin levels, the agency said in a statement.

This week, a team of scientists set out from Oregon in a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel to study the bloom, the agency said on Tuesday.

Scientists will try to determine whether the massive size of the bloom is linked to this year's warmer-than-average water conditions from Washington to Southern California, the agency said.

The ship will sample water from the Mexican border to Vancouver Island, the Seattle Times reported.

© Thomson Reuters, 2015

 

[OldBlackDog]

[h=1]West Coast toxic algae bloom closes fisheries from Calif. to Washington[/h]SEATTLE – The largest West Coast toxic algae bloom in more than decade is stretching from central California to Washington state, and possibly to Alaska.
NOAA says it is mobilizing more scientists to study and chart the bloom, sometimes known as a red tide. It's already led to the closure of several fisheries along the West Coast.
NOAA says marine algae blooms are common in the spring, but this one has grown much larger and contains some of the highest concentrations of the natural toxin known as domoic acid.
Fish that feed on the algae can ingest the toxin. That can poison birds and sea lions that eat those fish.
"This is unprecedented in terms of the extent and magnitude of this harmful algal bloom and the warm water conditions we're seeing offshore," said Vera Trainer of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. "Whether they're related we can't really say yet, but this survey gives us the opportunity to put these pieces together."
Washington state shellfish managers were forced to close the southern Washington coast to Dungeness crab fishing earlier this month.
All coastal Washington beaches have been closed to razor clamming. NOAA estimates that has cost coastal communities more than $9 million in revenue.
Officials in Oregon have stopped all shellfish harvesting from the Columbia River south to Tillamook Head and closed the entire state coastline to razor clamming. The state has also closed mussel harvesting along the Oregon Coast north of Gold Beach.
The <culink culang="en" href="http://curiyo.com/en/topic/University of Washington" title="" style="max-width: 100%;">University of Washington</culink>, Quileute Nation and <culink culang="en" href="http://curiyo.com/en/topic/Makah" title="" style="max-width: 100%;">Makah Tribe</culink> are also taking part in the study.
Related links
Current closures in Washington
Current closures in Oregon
Current closures in California
Washington coastal domoic acid levels
Background: Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act

 

[Sangstercraft]

If this is a matter of public health, especially on the WCVI, perhaps it should be in the Saltwater fishing forum?

This is the first time I've heard of a toxin that can be absorbed by fish and passed on to humans. I'd expect there to be a die off of sea otters among other animals eating shellfish.

 

[Big_Shank]

That's a scary one. If it affects west coast sardines, then it will effect the salmon fishery no?

 

[GLG]

That's a scary one. If it affects west coast sardines, then it will effect the salmon fishery no?

West Coast Sardine population has already crashed.
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/a_little_fish_with_big_impact_in_trouble_on_us_west_coast/2887/

 

[Big_Shank]

Ok, but if it affects sardines, will it not affect pretty much every single other bait sized fish that is feeding on the same krill and plankton? Theoretically speaking, any bait fish that comes in contact with the algae while feeding that is then eaten by salmon would be affected, thus affecting the salmon correct?..

 

[OldBlackDog]

[h=1]NOAA Fisheries mobilizes to gauge unprecedented West Coast toxic algal bloom[/h]Offshore survey will measure extent and severity of largest harmful algal bloom in more than a decade June 2015 Contributed by Michael Milstein
The NWFSC has mobilized extra scientists to join a fisheries survey along the West Coast to chart an extensive harmful algal bloom that spans much of the West Coast and has triggered numerous closures of important shellfish fisheries in Washington, Oregon and California.
The bloom stretches from the Central California Coast north to Washington and possibly Alaska, and involves some of the highest concentrations of the natural toxin domoic acid ever observed in

Monterey Bay and off the Central Oregon Coast. In early June elevated toxin levels led shellfish managers to

close the southern Washington Coast to Dungeness crab fishing, the largest-ever closure of Washington’s multi-million-dollar crab fishery.
“We’re taking advantage of our active surveys to focus research on a serious concern for coastal communities and the seafood industry,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant administrator for NOAA fisheries. “The better we understand what’s happening out on the water, the better we can address the impacts.”
While localized blooms of marine algae that naturally produce domoic acid are common in spring, the bloom that began earlier this year has grown into the largest and most severe in more than a decade. Sardines, anchovy and other fish that feed on the algae and other microorganisms known as plankton can accumulate the toxin, in turn poisoning birds and sea lions that feed on them.
“This is unprecedented in terms of the extent and magnitude of this harmful algal bloom and the warm water conditions we’re seeing offshore,” said Vera Trainer, manager of the Marine Microbes and Toxins Program at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) in Seattle. “Whether they’re related we can’t really say yet, but this survey gives us the opportunity to put these pieces together.”
State agencies monitor toxin levels closely and impose harvest closures where necessary to ensure that all commercial seafood remains safe to eat. NOAA Fisheries and others are also developing advanced robotic systems and

models to better detect and forecast harmful algal blooms. See state agency websites linked d below for the latest details on closures in

California,

Oregon and

Washington.
The NWFSC’s Marine Microbes and Toxins Program is working closely with the University of California Santa Cruz, University of Washington, Quileute Nation and Makah Tribe to add scientists to an already scheduled fisheries survey leaving today (June 15) from Newport, Ore., aboard the

NOAA research ship Bell M. Shimada. The survey is a partnership between the NWFSC in Seattle and the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, Calif., to assess sardine and hake populations on the West Coast. The additional scientists will examine levels of marine toxins and the organisms that produce them.
The researchers will collect samples of water, the microscopic diatoms that produce domoic acid and another form of marine microorganism called dinoflagellates that produce another type of toxin called paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) that have also been detected in some shellfish. Domoic acid and PSTs are rarely found in shellfish at the same time, but they have been this year.
The scientists will also sample plankton-feeding fish such as anchovies and sardines that concentrate the toxins and transfer them to other marine animals.
Research during previous harmful algal blooms found “hot spots” of toxin-producing organisms along the West Coast, Trainer said, and the survey will search for similar concentrations this year.
The

Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms (ECOHAB) Research Program is completing a study of one such

hot spot in California’s Monterey Bayand provides funding for UC Santa Cruz to analyze samples that will be collected during the survey. The results will help investigate connections between the current bloom and unusually warm ocean temperatures that have dominated the West Coast since last year, which may offer a preview of ocean conditions likely to become more common with climate change.
California officials have warned against consuming recreationally harvested mussels and clams, commercially or recreationally caught anchovy and sardines, or the internal organs of commercially or recreationally caught crab taken from Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.
Officials in Oregon have halted all shellfish harvesting from the Columbia River south to Tillamook Head and closed the entire state coastline to razor clamming because of elevated levels of domoic acid. High levels of PSTs have led to the closure of mussel harvesting along the Oregon Coast north of Gold Beach.
All coastal Washington beaches have also been closed to razor clamming, at an estimated loss of more than $9 million in revenue for coastal communities in the last month alone.
Background: Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act

http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/research/habs/habhrca/
Current closures in California

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/healthadvisory.asp
Current closures in Oregon

http://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/foodsafety/shellfish/pages/shellfishclosures.aspx
Current closures in Washington

https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/eh/maps/biotoxin/biotoxin.html
Washington coastal domoic acid levels

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/domoic_levels.html

 

[finaddict]

The Pacific sardine crash comes at a time of intense global fishing pressure on forage fish. Some are eaten fresh or canned. But huge quantities go into fishmeal for livestock and aquaculture feed. While fishmeal was once used primarily for livestock and poultry feed, it is now used mainly for aquaculture production, which has soared more than 10-fold in recent decades, from 8 million tons in 1980 to 107 million tons in 2013, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. According to one study, 87 percent of the world’s forage fish — an estimated 26 million tons — are now used as food in aquaculture operations. Many scientists say this forage fish harvest is unsustainable.

Aquaculture companies say they have been making steady progress in recent years in reducing the amount of forage fish needed to produce a pound of, say, farmed salmon. Once, up to five pounds of wild fish were needed to produce a pound of salmon, but the use of vegetable proteins, algae, and other nutrients have steadily reduced that ratio in recent years.

Sardine and anchovy populations are notoriously cyclical, with warmer temperatures favoring sardines, and cooler temperatures favoring anchovies. But the growing demand for forage fish comes at a time when ocean conditions are changing worldwide. After years of cold temperatures that pushed Pacific sardine numbers lower, waters off the U.S. West Coast have begun to warm. But scientists are stumped as to why recent warmer temperatures have not led to an upturn in sardine numbers.

“The number of fish that are being produced since 2011 are the lowest we’ve ever observed,” says NOAA’s Zwolinski. “No new fish are replenishing the population” he says, noting that when overall populations are small, it’s even harder for sardines to rebuild. Sardines spawn some 100 miles offshore and normally lose as many as 90 percent of their eggs, so large populations are key to fostering the next generation

 

[agentaqua]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/t...know-about-the-mysterious-phenomena-1.3117687

Toxic algae blooms: What you should know about the mysterious phenomena

Algae can produce some of the most harmful natural toxins known to science

CBC News Posted: Jun 18, 2015 11:00 AM ET| Last Updated: Jun 18, 2015 1:38 PM ET

Toxic algal blooms can stretch for thousands of kilometres and can sometimes be clearly seen from space. (The Canadian Press)

In August 1961, a bizarre scene unfolded in the skies above the coastal town of Capitola, Calif., on the northern end of Monterey Bay.

Residents watched in terror as seabirds dive-bombed into the ground at kamikaze speed and violently vomited fish. Hundreds of birds died in the streets of the small town.

The strange incident partly inspired Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 horror flick The Birds, but exactly what happened remained a mystery for five decades.

In 2011, a research group revealed that the birds were victims of poisoning by domoic acid, a potent toxin produced by algae that targets the nervous system, inducing severe seizures and killing wildlife.

A bloom thought to be the largest ever observed on the West Coast of North America is currently menacing Monterey Bay with unprecedented levels of domoic acid. Wild and farmed shellfish operations from California to B.C. have been forced to stop harvesting until the bloom clears.

While toxic algae are common in waters across the planet, there is mounting evidence that the frequency and severity of these events are on the rise and that global climate change may exacerbate the problem.

Here's some important background on toxic algal blooms and how they could affect you.

What are toxic algal blooms?

The massive growth of algae on the West Coast falls under a category of natural phenomena that scientists call harmful algal blooms, or HABs. They are often called red tides because they sometimes render the water a rusty-crimson colour. This is a misnomer, however, as algal blooms can be many colours and aren't necessarily connected to tides.

Lake Erie Algae
Ontario, Michigan and Ohio recently agreed to cut phosphorus run-off from nearby farms in Lake Erie by 40 per cent to prevent toxic blooms in the lake. (Haraz N. Ghanbari/Associated Press)

Under the right conditions, a bloom can blanket surface waters for weeks on end, sometimes becoming a floating toxic glob that stretches thousands of kilometres in length and tens of metres deep. Some get so large they can be seen clearly from space.

While there are many kinds of harmful blooms that have varying effects on aquatic ecosystems, only a small percentage of algae species actually produce biological toxins. Those that do, however, can create some of the most harmful natural toxins known to science.

These toxins make their way up the food chain and can accumulate in dangerously high concentrations in aquatic animals that people eat, especially shellfish like oysters and mussels. Some shellfish can store toxins for weeks after a bloom passes.

How can toxic algae affect humans?

There are generally four widely recognized conditions associated with toxins produced by algae, as well as several lesser-known illnesses.

Perhaps the most well-known in Canada is Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP), which leads to symptoms from slight numbness in the extremities to full-on paralysis and even death in humans.


PSP is caused by saxitoxins, which generally do not break down under high heat conditions. In other words, cooking your mussels won't save you. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded algal blooms that produced so much of the toxin that one or two small contaminated mussels could kill a healthy adult human.


Blue-green algae Lake Erie Toledo Water Problems
Cyanobacteria can produce toxins that cause respiratory and liver failure. (Haraz N. Ghanbari/Associated Press)

Saxitoxins were among the first shellfish-derived poisons to be isolated and studied, including by the U.S. military, who tried to develop chemical weapons intended to disrupt the neurological function of enemy soldiers on the battlefield. During the Cold War, some American spy plane pilots carried a dose of pure saxitoxin to take their own lives if faced with the prospect of capture.

Domoic acid is responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning and can cause severe short and long-term memory loss in humans. Similarly, the potent neurotoxin has been implicated in whale deaths and has been proposed as an explanation for mysterious behaviour occasionally observed in manatees in Florida.

Algae are similarly responsible for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning — you can probably guess the primary symptom — and neurotoxic shellfish poisoning, which tends to be less severe than other algal toxin-related conditions.

There is also an unusual group of blue-green algae (which are actually bacteria) called cyanobacteria, which live in both oceans and lakes. These species can produce potent toxins that cause liver and respiratory failure in humans and animals.

What causes toxic algal blooms?

The short answer is that no one really knows.

The thousands of species of phytoplankton are in a constant, complex dance with numerous factors such as sunlight, water temperature, currents and the presence of essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous and carbon.

Algae bloom
The precise factors leading to toxic blooms largely remain a mystery. (Washington State Department of Ecology Marine Monitoring Unit)

What combination of these factors causes a bloom to explode is not entirely clear. In some instances, a sudden increase in nutrient levels seems to be the primary cause. For example, in the western basin of Lake Erie, farm run-off high in phosphorous has been blamed for an increasingly persistent bloom that forms each summer and fouls drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people.

Interestingly, some algae species capable of producing toxins are not always toxic. Consider the enigmatic fish-killing species Heterosigma akashiwo, which decimated farmed salmon populations in B.C. in the 1980s. Heterosigma is always present in some concentration, but only becomes toxic under certain conditions.

It's as if some combination of environmental factors simply flips a switch, but just what those conditions are remains elusive (it's not even known what type of toxin Heterosigma produces).

Or in 2011, when an algae species that has likely persisted in B.C.'s waters for millennia without producing a toxin made 62 people across Canada sick with diarrhetic shellfish poisoning after eating contaminated oysters harvested in the Gulf Islands. Once again, what induced toxicity in that particular year remains a mystery.

 

[agentaqua]

http://www.adn.com/article/20150618/9-fin-whales-found-dead-alaska-waters-recent-weeks

9 endangered whales found dead in Alaska waters in recent weeks
Yereth Rosen|Alaska Dispatch News|

June 18, 2015

The first of several dead fin whales, later named FW01, floats outside Marmot Bay near Kodiak Island on May 23. M/V Kennicott crew / NOAA

At least nine fin whales have been found dead in recent weeks in southern Alaska waters, and researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and University of Alaska Fairbanks are attempting to find out what killed them.

“We rarely see more than one fin whale carcass every couple of years,” said Kate Wynne, a UAF professor and Alaska Sea Grant marine mammal specialist, and the recent rash of dead whale discoveries is "mysterious."

According to a release from UAF, the first of the whales was reportedly spotted on May 23 by crew members aboard the state ferry Kennicott, which travels between Bellingham, Washington, and ports in Southeast and Southcentral Alaska.

Over the next two weeks, boaters, fishermen and pilots reported other dead whales in the floating in the area, the UAF release said. Those reports, and the photos submitted with them, led Wynne and her NOAA colleagues to conclude that “at least nine fin whales died in a relatively small area,” the release said.

For now, the “go-to answer” to questions about the deaths is a harmful algal bloom, said Bree Witteveen, a UAF Sea Grant marine mammal specialist working with Wynne on the investigation.

“It’s definitely a suspect,” she said in a telephone interview. But pinpointing cause of death for the marine mammals could be difficult, “even if we have evidence of a harmful algal bloom,” she said.

“We honestly don’t know,” she said. “We probably won’t ever get a definitive answer.”

Fin whales are massive, growing to more than 70 feet long as adults and weighing 45 tons, making them the second-largest whale species, according to NOAA. They migrate every summer to Alaska waters, including the Gulf of Alaska, Prince William Sound and the Chukchi Sea, and filter the tiny fish they eat through the baleen in their mouths.

They travel and feed in tight groups, behavior that supports the idea that the whales encountered something toxic at the same time in May, the UAF release said.

The whales were reportedly discovered from Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska to Unimak Pass, which is located near the eastern end of the Aleutian Islands and western tip of the Alaska Peninsula.

A couple of the dead whales wound up on beaches, Witteveen said. She and Wynne were able to get samples from one of those whales, she said, but another beached carcass was carried away by the night’s tide before samples could be retrieved.

The single whale that they were able to examine had no obvious injuries and had a thick layer of blubber, a sign of good body condition, Witteveen said.

“It was a really healthy animal; there weren’t any obvious signs of cause of death,” she said.

The samples were sent to a lab for analysis, and Witteveen said she expects results within a couple of weeks.

Fin whales are endangered, and little is known about the details of their migration patterns or even their total numbers, Witteveen said.

The loss of nine whales is probably not significant from a population standpoint, “but it is enough to raise a concern that something unusual, something out of the ordinary is happening,” she said.

The researchers are planning to fly over the eastern side of the Kodiak Archipelago, where most of the dead whales have been found, to look for additional carcasses or signs of algal blooms and to take water samples, Witteveen said.

Warmer-than-normal waters are among the factors that scientists have linked to harmful algal blooms.

Sea-surface temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska are running 0.9 to 3.6 degrees above average, said Jason Ahsenmacher of the National Weather Service in Anchorage.

Meanwhile, several dead walruses and hundreds of dead seabirds have been discovered in an Alaska Peninsula region about 300 miles southwest of Kodiak Island, federal officials report.

About 25 walrus carcasses were found near Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, an unexpected occurrence in an area where walrus tramplings are rare, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman Andrea Medeiros.

“You don’t usually see large mortality events in that area,” she said.

Law enforcement agents with Fish and Wildlife are investigating the walrus deaths to determine whether they might have been human-caused, Medeiros said.

In the same general area, carcasses of hundreds of seabirds and a dead whale were also found, she said. “I don’t know if there’s a connection or not,” she said.

A dead humpback whale was found in the same area as the fin whales, but was determined to have been killed by an orca, Witteveen said.

Officials are asking members of the public to report and photograph any other dead animals that may seem unusual

 

[agentaqua]

FN0570- Marine Biotoxin - Harvest Shellfish Safely - Reminder to Shellfish Harvesters - Risk of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP or Red Tide), Domoic Acid Poisoning (also referred to Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning or ASP) and Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP)

Friday, June 19, 2015 11:41 AM

Category(s):
General Information,
PSP (Red Tide) /Other Marine Toxins,
ABORIGINAL - General Information,
COMMERCIAL - General Information,
COMMERCIAL - Invertebrates: Clam - Intertidal,
COMMERCIAL - Invertebrates: Clam - Razor,
COMMERCIAL - Invertebrates: Geoduck and Horseclam,
COMMERCIAL - Invertebrates: Oyster,
COMMERCIAL - Invertebrates: Scallop by Trawl,
RECREATIONAL - Shellfish


Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0570- Marine Biotoxin - Harvest Shellfish Safely - Reminder to Shellfish Harvesters - Risk of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP or Red Tide), Domoic Acid Poisoning (also referred to Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning or ASP) and Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP)

Fisheries and Oceans Canada reminds shellfish harvesters in British Columbia to
check whether fishing areas are open and shellfish are safe to consume before
harvesting them.

Consumers should be aware of some potential food safety issues associated with
bivalve shellfish (i.e. clams, oysters, scallops, mussels, cockles), other
molluscan shellfish (i.e. whelks and periwinkles) and the hepatopancreas of
crab.

These animals are highly sensitive to the quality of their marine environment.
Because they feed themselves by filtering microscopic organisms from the water,
harmful bacteria, viruses and biotoxins from their surroundings can build up in
their tissues and cause illness in people who consume them.

Eating shellfish with high levels of certain toxins can lead to serious or
potentially fatal illnesses such as: Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP)
(commonly known as Red Tide), Domoic Acid or Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP)
and Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP). Cooking bivalve shellfish does not
destroy the toxins that cause illnesses such as PSP, ASP, and DSP. Cooked
shellfish can still be toxic.

Symptoms of PSP could begin within a few minutes and up to 10 hours after
consumption. Symptoms of PSP can range from a tingling sensation or numbness
around the lips, face and neck, to paralysis of respiratory muscles leading to
death in extreme cases.

Symptoms of Domoic Acid Poisoning (ASP) usually occur thirty minutes to 6 hours
after consumption. Symptoms of ASP can include severe headache, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness, confusion and disorientation and memory
loss. In extreme cases, death can occur.

Symptoms of DSP usually occur thirty minutes to 6 hours after consumption, and
can include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, abdominal cramps and chills.

It is essential that bivalve shellfish are harvested from open areas and
handled properly to minimize the risk of food borne illnesses. Only purchase
shellfish from trusted retailers and restaurants who can confirm the source of
shellfish, and that they were harvested from an open area. Shellfish should be
iced, refrigerated or frozen after harvest or purchase, during transport and
until they're ready to be eaten.

A tidal waters sport fishing licence is required to harvest shellfish for
recreational purposes. Harvesters must comply with sport fishing regulations
related to shellfish harvesting, such as area closures. It is illegal to
harvest shellfish from a closed area.

Detailed information and maps on shellfish closures are updated frequently and
are available from the following sources:

A toll free, 24-hour recorded information line: 1-866-431-3474

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s shellfish contamination webpage:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/contamination/index-eng.htm

Reminder to check both the sanitary and biotoxin updates at the link above, as
both types of contamination can be present in an area.

Local Fisheries and Oceans Canada offices: www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/locations-
bureaux-eng.htm (call during regular business hours)

For more information on marine toxins in bivalve shellfish, please see:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/consumer-centre/food-safety-tips/specific-
products-and-risks/bivalve-shellfish/eng/1332275144981/1332275222849

For more information on Shellfish Closures, contact:
Elysha Gordon

Resource Management Biologist
Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program Regional Coordinator
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, South Coast Area
Phone: (250) 756-7192
Email: Elysha.Gordon@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

or at your local DFO office.


Visit us on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

If you have any questions, please contact us via e-mail to: OpsCentre@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

 

[agentaqua]

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/toxic-algae-bloom-west-of-island-threatens-salmon-1.1974899

Toxic algae bloom west of Island threatens salmon

Amy Smart / Times Colonist
June 20, 2015

Toxic algae bloom west of Vancouver Island

A toxic algae bloom west of Vancouver Island has prompted shellfish harvest bans and may affect salmon stocks, federal scientists say.

The bloom stretches along the Pacific coast from California to B.C., making it possibly the largest one on record in the area, scientists have said. Although the cause is unknown, they believe the unseasonably warm weather plays a role, along with “the blob” — an enormous area of warmer-than-average water that appeared in the northeastern Pacific last fall. The blob has also been credited with the appearance of tropical species such as tuna in waters off B.C.

“We’ve seen record high temperatures all along the B.C. coast,” said Ian Perry, a research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

“The really ‘nice’ period of weather we’ve been having — sunshine, not much freshwater runoff because of no rain — it helps produce conditions that are really conducive to these organisms.”

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz say the bloom involves microscopic algae that produce a potent neurotoxin called domoic acid. The toxin accumulates in phytoplankton, shellfish and small fish such as anchovies that feed on the algae. While it doesn’t affect the shellfish and small fish, it can cause neurological problems in marine mammals, seabirds and humans who consume them.

The bloom stretches along Vancouver Island from Juan de Fuca Strait to Cape Scott.

But fisheries bans are in effect only in three areas of Vancouver Island, said Elysha Gordon, shellfish sanitation program co-ordinator for Fisheries and Oceans. They are located in and around Esperanza Inlet, Espinosa Inlet and Nuchatlitz Inlet, near Nootka Island, she said.

Bans come into effect when the level of domoic acid exceeds 20 micrograms per gram of tissue, according to Health Canada guidelines. Most of the samples collected by Fisheries and Oceans are just above that — about 21 or 22 micrograms per gram. In one case, a measure of 75 micrograms per gram was recorded, but a ban was already in effect in that area for other reasons.

The bloom is relatively weak along Vancouver Island, compared with American waters, where acid measurements have been up to 10 times as strong, Perry said.

An additional concern relates to salmon stock. The bloom has almost no crustaceans, but instead has a large number of gelatinous zooplankton, which is worrisome, Perry said. Young salmon typically migrate out of rivers and migrate along the coast of the Island at this time of year. “Because they’re small, they need to feed a lot and grow quickly to avoid predators. But with the lack of crill and other crustaceans, there is a concern they won’t find as much food,” Perry said.

The consequences could be seen in lower salmon stocks returning to rivers in two to four years, he said.

A list of biotoxin and sanitary fisheries closures is on the Fisheries and Oceans website at dfo-mpo.gc.ca

asmart@timescolonist.com

© Copyright Times Colonist - See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/l...reatens-salmon-1.1974899#sthash.dp4uvTCg.dpuf

 

[Cuba Libre]

And this is another one to be wary of... http://www.cdc.gov/vibrio/vibriop.html

 

[agentaqua]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-algae-bloom-threat-reduced-1.3143242

B.C. algae bloom threat reduced

Winds have pushed the bloom offshore