Last summer (2015), high levels of domoic acid (DA), a neurologic toxin, were reported in BC shellfish. This led to the closure of commercial shellfish beds and the imposition of restrictions on self-harvesting by First Nations. Given the high reported levels of these biotoxins, there is a concern that populations in BC who engage in self-harvesting of wild shellfish and/or consume large quantities of shellfish may be at risk of toxic exposures. In the absence of regular and broad-based monitoring of shellfish along BC’s coasts, an alternative would be to utilize information about marine wildlife mortality or illness events that may have been caused by marine biotoxins; data would be gathered by agencies and institutions focusing on the marine environment and by coastal communities. 

This workshop brought together environmental and wildlife marine scientists, researchers, representatives from First Nations, public health, industry, provincial, public and federal stakeholders.

The workshop explored the available sources of non-traditional and augmented monitoring data that could be used to identify risks derived from marine biotoxins, which affect the marine ecosystem and potentially affect human seafood consumers.