KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The Department of Environmental Conservation tells us it’s not safe to dig for clams, mussels, crab and other shellfish on uncertified beaches, and in Kodiak, the Aleutian Islands and the populated areas of Southeast there are no certified beaches.
KMXT’s Diana Gish talked to DEC’s George Scanlan to find out more.
It’s much more fun to think about digging up clams than to think about paralytic shellfish poison or PSP. Still, every year the Department of Environmental Conservation does its best to warn us of the danger of this potentially fatal illness that’s sometimes found in clams, mussels, crab and other shellfish. I asked George Scanlan the state shellfish coordinator of the DEC, to help make sense of it all.
— (PSP 2-Way 3:12 "…love ‘em but leave ‘em.")
If you do get sick from eating shellfish The Department of Environmental Conservation suggests that you induce vomiting and get prompt medical attention.
I’m Diana Gish.
Currently the Department of Environmental Conservation certifies only commercially sold shellfish due to the cost and resources required to certify all 33,000 thousand miles of Alaska’s coast. Scanlan says he’d like to see legislation introduced that would fund monitoring of public beaches for PSP.
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