Biotoxins and Red Tide Megan Hintz & Taylor Solomon Lummi - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Shellfish Safety Biotoxins and Red Tide Megan Hintz & Taylor Solomon Lummi Nation Annual Fishers Meeting June 24 th 2019

Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) RED TIDE 2

Toxic algae can make you sick Toxic algae Shellfish eat People eat bloom algae shellfish • Ideal water • Shellfish that feed • Toxic shellfish are conditions for on toxic algae eaten. Possibly algae blooms blooms become making consumer include sunlight, toxic and unsafe sick in anywhere nutrients for from minutes to to consume plant growth, and 24 hours . warm water temperatures. 3

3 Types of HABs / Biotoxins • Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) • Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) • Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) (Domoic acid) 4

LETHAL 5

• 1 st confirmed US cases at Sequim Bay in 2011 < Short term Long term > 6

DOMOIC ACID LETHAL 7

Biotoxin History in WA Widespread PSP toxicity in WA 1978 3 events 1991 17 illnesses 5 illnesses 40% required PSP deaths hospitalization 1942 PSP outbreak 3 events First PSP in BC 6 illness, PSP testing closure in 1957 South Sound in WA 3 deaths 1980s 1988 started 4 events 1930 10 illnesses 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 1900 Now

Biotoxin History in WA Widespread PSP toxicity in WA 1978 3 events 1991 17 illnesses 5 illnesses 40% required 2010 PSP deaths hospitalization 7 hospitalizations 1942 PSP outbreak 3 events First PSP in BC 6 illness, PSP testing closure in 1957 South Sound in WA 3 deaths 1980s 2000s 2012 1988 started 4 events 3 events 2 events 1930 10 illnesses 9 illnesses 10 illnesses 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 1900 Now First Domoic Acid Closure in Puget Sound West Coast 2003 ASP event Domoic Acid 2015 (ASP) detected on the West Coast 1991 First DSP illness in WA 2011 9

Maximum PSP Levels 2009-2010 2018 Lethal levels Symptoms Closure level 10

Red tide / biotoxin risk is increasing • Unusual time of year • Longer closures • HIGHER toxin levels • Multiple blooms in a year • NEW BIOTOXINS 11

Safely harvesting shellfish T HE ONLY WAY TO KNOW IF SHELLFISH ARE SAFE TO EAT IS BY TESTING THEM IN A LAB C HECK FOR CLOSURES • Myths • Health risks • Check for closures

LNR takes action Increased monitoring and information

New beach signage 14

Thank you! Lummi 24-hr fishery hotline: (360) 380-6899 WA Department of Health Hotline: 1-800-562-5632 www.doh.wa.gov/ShellfishSafety Lummi Natural Resources Website: Megan Hintz www.lummi-nsn.gov MeganH@lummi-nsn.gov 360-312-2213 Lummi Natural Resources Office 15 (360) 384-7119