Recent data shows detectable levels of paralytic shellfish toxin in many species of predatory fish, including cod and salmon.
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‘One mussel could kill someone’: officials warn of extremely high shellfish toxin levels in Unalaska
“Right now, the levels are high enough that just one mussel could kill someone,” said Sarah Spelsberg, a physician assistant at Iliuliuk Family and Health Services, Unalaska’s clinic.
A person has died from paralytic shellfish poisoning in Unalaska
This is the first known paralytic shellfish poisoning fatality in Alaska since 2010, although serious illnesses are reported more frequently.
It’s not just people who need to worry about getting sick from eating shellfish; pets can get PSP too
It’s not just people that can get sick or even die from eating toxic mussels, clams or other shellfish. Pet owners need to watch out for their pups too.
High levels of toxins found in blue mussels from Juneau shellfish
A group that monitors shellfish toxin levels is warning Juneau residents not to consume shellfish from locations in the Auke Bay area.
‘Potentially lethal’ toxins found in Juneau shellfish
A group that monitors shellfish toxin levels is warning Juneau residents not to consume shellfish from locations in the Auke Bay area.
Scientists agree starvation killed hundreds of puffins, but did PSP play a role?
Scientists agree seabirds are a good indicators of overall ecosystem health, but they can’t agree on the cause of the Pribilof puffin die-off.
New network of tribes expands toxic shellfish testing
A new lab in Sitka tests regularly for shellfish toxins and now is teaching more than a dozen tribes in the region to do the same. Global warming could increase the level of toxins, so tribes are working fast to take the mystery out of what’s blooming on their shores.
PSP warnings for four Juneau and Douglas beaches
Eagle Beach, Amalga Harbor, Auke Recreational Area and Outer Point all have toxin levels that exceed the Food and Drug Administration’s limit for safe consumption.
Sitka Tribe opens biotoxin lab to monitor PSP
With warming ocean temperatures, the risk of paralytic shellfish poisoning can linger all year-round, and Alaska has only one Food and Drug Administration certified laboratory to test shellfish. There are no labs to protect those digging for their dinner, but that may soon change.