Community Articles (listed by posting date)
General News · 26th August 2025
Klahoose First Nation
Shellfish Safety Alert Hello to fellow Islanders!
Through the water sampling program (WATCH), we have found something in the waters that has the potential to be harmful to you and your families, if consumed.
It is a Phytoplankton called Pseudo-Nitzschia (Sew-dough nitz-see-uh). It produces a biotoxin called domoic acid. When shellfish ingest Pseudo-Nitzschia, Domoic acid accumulates in shellfish tissue.
When these contaminated shellfish are consumed, it can cause ASP (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning). Domoic acid is a neurotoxin that may cause permanent short-term memory loss, brain damage, and severe cases, death in mammals, including humans.
The sample flagged with concern was taken from Mansons Lagoon. Mansons Lagoon is one of the several places we collect water samples from. Samples are collected from different depths. I sample Monday through to Thursday and if anything changes in the results, it will be posted right away.
Official Statement is provided by the Klahoose First Nation Fisheries Department; this message is not officially endorsed by DFO. While it is not against the law to harvest shellfish in contaminated areas, it is with extreme caution that you are informed of the hazards of consuming shellfish harvested from the contaminated areas, as you and your family’s wellbeing is a priority.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me. Thank you, Bryan Pielle WATCH Coordinator (250) 935-6536 Ext:337
https://www.klahoose.org/_files/ugd/d3fea5_9898a932fbee407da1fcce7ccfa39dcb.pdf
Through the water sampling program (WATCH), we have found something in the waters that has the potential to be harmful to you and your families, if consumed.
It is a Phytoplankton called Pseudo-Nitzschia (Sew-dough nitz-see-uh). It produces a biotoxin called domoic acid. When shellfish ingest Pseudo-Nitzschia, Domoic acid accumulates in shellfish tissue.
When these contaminated shellfish are consumed, it can cause ASP (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning). Domoic acid is a neurotoxin that may cause permanent short-term memory loss, brain damage, and severe cases, death in mammals, including humans.
The sample flagged with concern was taken from Mansons Lagoon. Mansons Lagoon is one of the several places we collect water samples from. Samples are collected from different depths. I sample Monday through to Thursday and if anything changes in the results, it will be posted right away.
Official Statement is provided by the Klahoose First Nation Fisheries Department; this message is not officially endorsed by DFO. While it is not against the law to harvest shellfish in contaminated areas, it is with extreme caution that you are informed of the hazards of consuming shellfish harvested from the contaminated areas, as you and your family’s wellbeing is a priority.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me. Thank you, Bryan Pielle WATCH Coordinator (250) 935-6536 Ext:337
https://www.klahoose.org/_files/ugd/d3fea5_9898a932fbee407da1fcce7ccfa39dcb.pdf