Fishery Notice

Environment and Climate Change Canada received reports of a hydrocarbon spill in Comox Harbour, Subarea 14-14. As a result of the reported hydrocarbon spill the Pacific Region Interdepartmental Shellfish Committee (PRISC) has reason to believe the quality of bivalve shellfish in Subarea 14-14 may be compromised.

Therefore, in accordance with Section 6.2 of the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP) manual https://inspection.canada.ca/food-guidance-by-commodity/fish/canadian-shellfish-sanitation-program/eng/1527251566006/1527251566942?chap=0#s6c3, PRISC recommends that the following area be placed immediately in closed status under a emergency chemical closure 14.bg to prevent the harvesting of potentially contaminated bivalve shellfish. 

Emergency chemical closure 14.bg -

Pacific Fishery Management Subarea 14-14. 

As per the CSSP manual, Section 6.2 Emergency Events, if additional emergency event information becomes available, the size of the closure may be modified. The shellfish harvest areas affected by emergency closure 14.bg will remain in closed status for a minimum of 7 days, at which time the PRISC partners will evaluate the situation and advise Fisheries and Oceans Canada if changes in the closure status are warranted. 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 PCH-2026-466.

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 - FN0575
Sent June 9, 2026 at 1436

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Visit Fisheries and Oceans Canada on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Printed from the Pacific Region web site on June 18, 2026 at 0104