BC tidal areas 4 and 104 - Prince Rupert, Porcher Island: Bivalve shellfish contamination information
Eating contaminated shellfish can make you very sick and can even be life threatening.
Harvesting opportunities and closures change often throughout the year for conservation or public health reasons. Check the table below or our real-time bivalve shellfish safety harvesting map to ensure that it's legal and safe to harvest, every time you head out to fish. If you are a recreational harvester, you also need to review recreational shellfish harvesting opportunities and limits and ensure you are carrying a current tidal waters sport fishing licence.
Because of the risk of sanitary contamination, all bivalve shellfish harvesting is permanently closed within the following boundaries, often marked with signage or red concrete markers:
- 300 metres around industrial, municipal and sewage treatment plant outfall discharges
- 125 metres around a marina, ferry wharf, floating living accommodation, or any finfish net pen
If you are in an aquaculture facility there are some exceptions to the second item.
- 25 meters around any floating living accommodation facility located within a shellfish aquaculture facility where a zero-discharge and appropriate waste management plan is a condition of the Aquaculture Licence and is approved by the Regional Interdepartmental Committee
- 0 meters of any finfish net pen within an aquaculture facility where an Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Management Plan approved by the Regional Interdepartmental Committee is in operation.
Shellfish aquaculture facilities use markers at the corners of their licensed area.
Bivalve shellfish contamination status
Look at the first column below to see which species are safe to harvest. If there is information in the second column, it is both illegal and unsafe to harvest any bivalve species in those areas.
| Subarea | Marine biotoxin update (open bivalve species) | Sanitary contamination closures (closed to shellfish harvesting) |
|---|---|---|
| 4-1 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 4-2 | ||
| 4-3 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 4-4 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 4-5 | ||
| 4-6 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 4-7 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 4-8 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 4-9 | ||
| 4-10 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 4-11 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 4-12 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 4-13 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 4-14 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 4-15 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 104-1 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 104-2 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 104-3 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 104-4 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 104-5 | Closed to All Bivalve Species |
Last updated: 2024-06-28 13:35:23
Area descriptions
| Closure | Map | Area description |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1 Humpback Bay, Porcher Island | 4.1.jpeg | The waters and intertidal foreshore of Humpback Bay, Porcher Island, inside a line drawn from the point at the western shore at 54°04.88'north latitude and 130°23.15' west longitude, east to the opposite shore at 54°04.90' north latitude and 130°23.07' west longitude. [NAD83] |
| 4.2 Hunt Inlet, Porcher Island | 4.2.jpeg | The waters and intertidal foreshore of Hunt Inlet, Porcher Island, inside a line drawn from the headland at the western entrance to the inlet at 54°04.60' north latitude and 130°26.98' west longitude, thence northeast to the headland on the opposite side at 54°04.88' north latitude and 130°26.83' west longitude. [NAD83] |
| 4.3 Prince Rupert Harbour | 4.3.jpeg | The waters and intertidal foreshore of Prince Rupert Harbour: bounded at the northwest entrance of the harbour by a line drawn from Observation Point at 54°20.14’ north latitude and 130°27.68’ west longitude southeasterly across Venn Passage to a point on land west of Auriol Point on Digby Island at 54°19.72' north latitude and 130°26.54' west longitude; bounded at the northeast entrance of the harbour by a line drawn from a point on land at 54°21.49’ north latitude and 130°16.97’ west longitude due east to a point on land at 54°21.54’ north latitude and 130°15.60’ west longitude, thence southerly along the shoreline to a point of land at 54°16.08’ north latitude and 130°13.86’ west longitude, thence southwesterly to a point on land at 54°15.57’ north latitude and 130°15.36’ west longitude; and bounded at the southern entrance of the harbour by a line drawn from Lima Point at 54°14.11’ north latitude and 130°22.67’ west longitude southeasterly to a red buoy (designated D18) located directly south of Kitson Island at 54°09.85’ north latitude and 130°19.19’ west longitude, thence northeasterly to a flashing light at Inverness Passage at 54°11.95' north latitude and 130°15.82' west longitude, thence northwesterly along the shoreline to a point of land at 54°14.03' north latitude and 130°17.95' west longitude, and thence southwesterly to a point of land on Ridley Island at 54°13.67’ north latitude and 130°18.39’ west longitude, except those waters west of a line drawn from a point of land on Digby Island east of Auriol Point at 54°19.75' north latitude and 130°25.75' west longitude southeasterly across Venn Passage to a flashing light marker on the opposite shore at 54°19.38' north latitude and 130°24.57' west longitude, thence southwesterly to a point of land on Digby Island at 54°18.98’ north latitude and 130°24.96' west longitude. [NAD83] |
| 4.5 West Digby Island, Chatham Sound | 4.5.jpeg | The waters and intertidal foreshore of Chatham Sound within a radius of 880 m of the wastewater outfall terminus at 54°17.26' north latitude and 130°27.36' west longitude, extending northwesterly along the shore of Digby Island to 54°17.57' north latitude and 130°27.96' west longitude, and southeasterly along the shore of Digby Island to 54°16.91' north latitude and 130°26.82' west longitude. [NAD83] |
| 4.6 Tuck Inlet, Prince Rupert | 4.6.png | The waters and intertidal foreshore of Tuck Inlet, in the vicinity of Prince Rupert Harbour, north of a line drawn from a point on land at 54°21.49' north latitude and 130°16.97' west longitude due east to a point on land at 54°21.54' north latitude and 130°15.60' west longitude, except the aquaculture tenure area located within 54°22.80’ north latitude and 130°16.29’ west longitude; 54°22.75’ north latitude and 130°15.85’ west longitude; 54°21.95’ north latitude and 130°16.12’ west longitude; 54°22.00’ north latitude and 130°16.54’ west longitude. [NAD83] |
| 4-2.A | 4-2.A.png | That portion of Subarea 4-2 north of a line from 54°10.534’N and 130°56.934’W to 54°10.534’N and 130°49.020’W. [NAD 83] |
| 4-2.B | 4-2.B.png | That portion of Subarea 4-2 south of a line from 54°10.534’N and 130°56.934’W to 54°10.534’N and 130°49.020’W. [NAD 83] |
| 4-5.A | 4-5.A.png | Those waters of Chatham Sound and adjacent waters inside a line that begins at 54°34.79′N 130°45.35′W [Dundas Island] to 54°34.10′N 130°42.45′W [Green Island Light], thence easterly to a point in water at 54°34.06′N 130°35.00′W, thence due south to a point on water at 54°21.80’N 130°35.00’W, thence due west to a point on land at 54°21.80’N 130°42.78’W [Deans Point], thence northerly following the eastern shoreline of Melville Island to a point on land at 54°24.72′N 130°43.14′W, thence northerly to a point on land at 54°25.17’N 130°43.85’W, thence northerly following the eastern shoreline of Dunira Island to a point on land at 54°28.36’N 130°46.63’W, thence northerly to a point on land at 54°28.36’N 130°47.42’W, thence northerly following the eastern shoreline of Baron Island to a point on land at 54°29.84’N 130°47.60’W, thence northerly to a point on land at 54°32.66’N 130°47.60’W [Dundas Island], thence northeasterly along the shoreline and back to the commencement point. |
| 4-5.B | 4-5.B.png | Those waters of Chatham Sound and adjacent waters inside a line that begins at 54°34.01’N 130°28.82’W [Fortune Point], thence southerly following the western shoreline of Finlayson Island to a point on land at 54°31.30′N 130°27.96′W, thence southerly to a point on land at 54°29.96’N 130°27.91’W [Mist Island], thence southerly following the western shoreline to a point on land at 54°29.38’N 130°27.75’W [Burnt Cliff Island], thence southerly to a point on land at 54°26.62′N 130°28.64′W [Trenham Point], thence southerly following the shoreline to a point on land at 54°21.81′N 130°29.22′W [Ryan Point], thence due west to a point in water at 54°21.80’N 130°35.00’W, thence due north to a point in water at 54°34.06”N 130°35.00’W, thence due east back to the commencement point. |
| 4-9.A | 4-9.A.png | That portion of Subarea 4-9 north of a line from 54°10.000’N and 130°41.406’W to 54°10.000’N and 130°23.800’W. [NAD 83] |
| 4-9.B | 4-9.B.png | That portion of Subarea 4-9 south of a line from 54°10.000’N and 130°41.406’W to 54°10.000’N and 130°23.800’W. [NAD 83] |
Last updated: 2024-06-28 13:35:23
Related links
- Area maps
- Realtime bivalve shellfish safety harvesting map
- Information about recreational shellfish harvesting in BC
- Shellfish harvesting safety information
- Planned bivalve shellfish harvesting closures
- Identify your catch
Contact us
Email: DFO.PACCSSP-PCAMPAC.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
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