Fishery Notice

Effective immediately, due to a breakage of the outfall pipe at the Latsematkwu Wastewater Treatment Plant, Environment and Climate Change Canada recommends an emergency closure for all bivalve shellfish for the area described below. 

Environment and Climate Change Canada has completed preliminary dilution modelling and has reason to believe the sanitary conditions in the area, described below, will be degraded to the point where accepted water quality standards of the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program have been exceeded. Given that overlay waters are a pathway by which pathogenic microorganisms and other contaminants may be introduced to shellfish, Environment and Climate Change Canada concludes that the degree of contamination of the water would likely pose a risk to public health if the shellfish were harvested for consumption.

In accordance with Section 6.2 of the CSSP manual (https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-guidance-commodity/fish/canadian-shellfish-sanitation-program), Environment and Climate Change Canada recommends that the following area be placed immediately in Closed Status under emergency closure 29.bb to prevent the harvesting of potentially contaminated bivalve shellfish. On the mapping site SHELLI (https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/shellfish-mollusques/cssp-map-eng.htm) you can find this closure by searching for Prohibition Order PSN-2025-689.

29.bb Sechelt, Latsematkwu Wastewater Treatment Plant, Subarea 29-1 - 

The waters and intertidal foreshore of Subarea 29-1 south of a line drawn from a point on land at 49° 26.240' N and 123° 42.999' W, thence southwesterly to a point in the water at 49° 25.942' N and 123° 43.167' W, thence southeasterly to a point in the water at 49° 25.825' N and 123° 42.678' W, thence northeasterly to a point of land at 49° 26.200' N and 123° 42.441' W. [NAD 83]

As per Section 6.2 of the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program manual, 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 if a change in the status of this emergency closure is warranted.  

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. For an area to be open and safe for harvesting, both biotoxin and sanitary need to be open. For information on sanitary contamination and biotoxin closures please go to the Fisheries and Oceans Canada mapping site SHELLI to determine where there is safe harvest at https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/shellfish-mollusques/cssp-map-eng.htm. 

Specific species limits, restrictions and maps for each subarea are available at https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/bc-zones-cb-eng.html and at local DFO offices.

For more information contact DFO.PACCSSP-PCAMPAC.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN1138
Sent October 24, 2025 at 1359

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on April 19, 2026 at 0208