Razor Clam Fishery Closes in Del Norte County Due to Public Health Hazard
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has closed the recreational razor clam fishery in Del Norte County (PDF) following a recommendation from state health agencies (PDF) figuring out that consumption of razor clams in the world poses a big menace for domoic acid publicity.
Pseudo-nitzschia, a naturally occurring single-celled, marine alga, produces the potent neurotoxin domoic acid beneath sure ocean situations. Bivalve shellfish, like clams and mussels, accumulate the toxin with out being harmed. In truth, razor clams are identified to bioaccumulate domoic acid, which means it might not clear their system till lengthy after a bloom has abated.
Sampling of razor clams from Crescent Beach in Crescent City in late October discovered clams exceeding the present federal motion degree for domoic acid of higher than or equal to 20 components per million.
Domoic acid poisoning in people could happen inside minutes to hours after consumption of affected seafood and may end up in indicators and signs starting from vomiting and diarrhea to everlasting lack of short-term reminiscence (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning), coma or loss of life. There isn’t any approach to put together clams for consumption that may take away the toxin – cooking and freezing don’t have any impact.
CDFW will proceed to work with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to accumulate, monitor and analyze razor clams to decide when the leisure clam fishery in Del Norte County will be reopened safely.
For extra information on any fishery closure or well being advisories, please go to: www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Health-Advisories
To get the newest information on present fishing season closures associated to domoic acid, please name CDFW’s Domoic Acid Fishery Closure Information Line at (831) 649-2883.
For the newest consumption warnings, please name CDPH’s Biotoxin information Line at (510) 412-4643 or toll-free at (800) 553-4133.
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Media Contacts:
Christy Juhasz, CDFW Marine Region, (707) 292-2480
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352