Use caution when harvesting shellfish this holiday weekend

QUÉBEC – 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 shellfish. This is a tradition that has gone on for generations. The Government of Canada wants to remind Quebec residents to avoid eating shellfish harvested from closed areas.

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    
From Québec to Baie-Trinité    1-800- 463-8558    
From Baie-Trinité to Natashquan    1-800- 463-1736    
From Kegaska to Blanc-Sablon 1-800-463-8558    
    
Lower St-Lawrence and Gaspe Peninsula
From Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies to Cap Gaspé    1-800- 463-0607
From Cap Gaspé to the Matapédia River    1-800- 463-4204

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