BC tidal areas 8 and 108 - Bella Coola, Fitz Hugh Sound: 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 metres 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 metres 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 8-1 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-2 | Geoduck;Clam - Horse | |
| 8-3 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-4 | Geoduck;Clam - Horse | |
| 8-5 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-6 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-7 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-8 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-9 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-10 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-11 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-12 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-13 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-14 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-15 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 8-16 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 108-1 | Closed to All Bivalve Species | |
| 108-2 | Closed to All Bivalve Species |
Last updated: 2025-05-06
Area descriptions
| Closure | Map | Area description |
|---|---|---|
| 8.1 Codville Lagoon | 8.1.jpeg | The waters and intertidal foreshore north of a line drawn from the western shore in Codville Lagoon at 52°03.86' north latitude and 127°52.05' west longitude, thence true east to the northernmost point of Codville Island, thence true east to 52°03.86' north latitude and 127°50.88' west longitude. [NAD27] |
Last updated: 2025-05-06
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
- Date modified: