Fishery Notice

The Chase River pump station has reported a discharge above the threshold 
established for the safe harvest of bivalve shellfish.  Effective January 4, 
2019, the following Emergency Closure, prohibiting bivalve shellfish harvest 
for any purpose, is now in place in the following area: 

The Restricted area within Sanitary Closure 17.4 in the Nanaimo River Estuary 
has reverted to CLOSED status. Licensed depuration and relay are now suspended 
by license condition in the Restricted area described as:

The intertidal foreshore of Newcastle Island from Shaft Point at 49°11.68' 
north latitude and 123°56.83' west longitude to Nares Point at 49°12.17' north 
latitude and 123°56.61', and the waters and intertidal foreshore of Nanaimo 
Harbour and Newcastle Island Passage inside a line that commences at Jack Point 
at 49°10.00' north latitude and 123°53.68' west longitude, thence to Gallows 
Point on Protection Island at 49°10.23' north latitude and 123°55.08' west 
longitude thence following the western shore of Protection Island to Batchelor 
Point at 49°10.99' north latitude and 123°54.95' west longitude, thence to an 
unnamed point of land on Newcastle Island at 49°11.38' north latitude and 123°
55.34' west longitude, then following the southern shore of Newcastle Island to 
Shaft Point at 49°11.68' north latitude and 123°56.83' west longitude thence to 
Pimbury Point 49°11.60' north latitude and 123°56.94' then following the 
shoreline to the point of commencement at Jack Point. [NAD 83]

In accordance with Appendix VIII of the CSSP Manual of Operations, Environment 
and Climate Change Canada recommends that licensed decontamination fisheries 
within Sanitary Closure 17.4 be placed immediately in closed status to prevent 
the harvesting of potentially contaminated bivalve shellfish.

This closure shall remain in place a minimum of 21 days following the cessation 
of the overflow, at which time Environment and Climate Change Canada will 
advise DFO if the area may return to open status. 

Note that this notice does not describe other sanitary closures which may be in 
effect, or Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP, red tide) and other marine 
biotoxin closures.  Detailed bivalve shellfish closure information and maps are 
available at our website: 

Detailed bivalve shellfish closure information and maps are available at our 
website: 

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/contamination/index-eng.html

and at local DFO offices.

For more information contact a local DFO office or Elysha Gordon at 250-756-
7192.

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0015
Sent January 4, 2019 at 1302

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on April 19, 2026 at 0207