Group fined $19,000 for harvesting shellfish from contaminated area

A group has been fined a total of $19,000 for harvesting shellfish from a contaminated area and other Fisheries Act violations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in a release published Sept. 21, 2026.

The department reminded harvesters that shellfish closures are established to protect public health and that the status of harvest areas can change regularly. Harvesters should check DFO's SHELLI map before every harvest, it said.

Shellfish harvested in closed areas may contain contaminants, bacteria, viruses or marine biotoxins that are not visible and can cause serious illness, or death, according to the department. Harvesting from these areas is both illegal and unsafe and puts the public at risk, threatens sustainable fisheries, and disadvantages harvesters who comply with the law, it said.