QUÉBEC CITY, QUÉBEC--(Marketwired - March 23, 2016) - Easter is often a time when people living in coastal communities on the North Shore and the Gaspé Peninsula get together for a hearty dinner including bivalve shellfish. This is a tradition that has gone on for generations. The Government of Canada is launching its annual awareness campaign in Quebec to raise public awareness of the risks of eating shellfish harvested from closed areas.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is reminding the public that harvesting bivalve shellfish from closed areas is prohibited. Additionally, shellfish harvesting is prohibited within 125 metres of a wharf, due to the risk of contamination.
Consuming shellfish that is unsafe can lead to serious health problems, including death. For more information regarding potential health risks, you are encouraged to visit our website.
The Department is also asking the public to report bivalve shellfish harvesting in closed areas by calling 1-800-463-9057 or online. All calls are anonymous and confidential.
For the latest information concerning shellfish harvesting, please dial one of the following phone numbers:
| CHARLEVOIX, NORTH SHORE AND ANTICOSTI ISLAND | LOWER ST-LAWRENCE AND GASPE PENINSULA | ||
| From Québec to Baie-Trinité | 1-800-463-8558 | From Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies to Cap Gaspé | 1-800-463-0607 |
| From Baie-Trinité to Natashquan | 1-800-463-1736 | From Cap Gaspé to the Matapédia River | 1-800-463-4204 |
| From Kegaska to Blanc-Sablon | 1-800-463-8558 | ||
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Contact Information:
Communications Branch
418-648-5474
medias.qc@dfo-mpo.gc.ca