Fishery Notice

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) recommends an emergency shellfish 
harvest closure in PFMA subarea 16-5, as a result of the surface discharge of 
untreated sewage from the Harbour Way Lift Station into the marine foreshore.   

On Friday, January 25, 2019, there was a release of untreated wastewater into 
the Sechelt Inlet marine environment. ECCC has reason to believe that the 
sanitary conditions in affected areas may have degraded to the point where 
accepted water quality standards of the CSSP have been exceeded. Given that 
overlay waters are a pathway by which pathogenic micro-organisms and other 
contaminants may be introduced into shellfish, we conclude that the degree of 
contamination of the water would likely pose a risk to public health if 
shellfish in the affected areas were harvested for consumption.

ECCC conducted modelling of the spill, recognizing the discharge was to marine 
surface waters.  The modelled closure has a 1800 meter radius, which 
encompasses all of Porpoise Bay.  

In accordance with Chapter 6 of the CSSP Manual, ECCC recommends that the 
following area within PFMA Subarea 16-5 be placed immediately in Closed Status 
under emergency sanitary closure to prevent the harvesting of potentially 
contaminated bivalve shellfish:

Emergency Closure 16.hh - Porpoise Bay - The waters and intertidal foreshore of 
Porpoise Bay, Sechelt Inlet, south of a line drawn from a point of land west of 
MacLean Bay at 49°30.67' north latitude and 123°45.85' west longitude thence 
westerly to a point of land on the opposite shore east of Snake Bay at 49°
30.47' north latitude and 123°47.08' west longitude. [NAD 83].

A per Section 6.2 Emergency Events of the CSSP Manual, closure of affected 
areas due to a sanitary discharge will remain in place for a minimum of 21 
days, at which time ECCC will evaluate the situation and advise DFO if changes 
in the closure status are 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.  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 - FN0074
Sent January 30, 2019 at 1425

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on November 13, 2025 at 1946