Latest news with #shellfish
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Shellfish bed is closed due to bacteria levels
An area where shellfish are harvested has been temporarily closed after bacteria levels were found to exceed "permitted" levels. Shellfish beds at Stubborn Sands, Heacham, have been closed to commercial harvesting, King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council said. The council also warned members of the public not to collect shellfish, in particular cockles, "as doing so may pose a risk to human health". According to a council spokesman, the high bacteria levels were detected during monthly sampling of the shellfish beds for The authority posted a notice on its website which said: "As part of the council's routine shellfish sampling programme for the classification of shellfish beds, a recent sample taken from the shellfish bed at Heacham known as Stubborn Sands INNER, has returned bacterial levels exceeding the permitted threshold." It said the beds would routinely reopen after "two consecutive satisfactory results" were taken, but would now remain closed until September. This was "at least", in part due to "a seasonal closure in August" which had taken place for the past two years due to "historic poor" test results in the summer month. The area affected impacts a private fishery and those with rights to the area. Most Wash fishing crews were "unaffected by this closure", the council spokesman said. Commercial harvesting of shellfish that occurs within the borough is regulated through the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and borough council's role is to ensure harvested shellfish come from areas monitored and classified in accordance with regulation. The beach at Heacham near Hunstanton has been classified as poor by the Environment Agency since 2021, with the cause of the problem being disputed among experts and locals. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More local stories Peta urges festival to fish for apples instead of crabs Woman died after lick from dog caused infection Sandringham Flower Show returns before 'pause' Related internet links King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Shellfish bed at Heacham is closed due to bacteria levels
An area where shellfish are harvested has been temporarily closed after bacteria levels were found to exceed "permitted" beds at Stubborn Sands, Heacham, have been closed to commercial harvesting, King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council council also warned members of the public not to collect shellfish, in particular cockles, "as doing so may pose a risk to human health".According to a council spokesman, the high bacteria levels were detected during monthly sampling of the shellfish beds for The authority posted a notice on its website which said: "As part of the council's routine shellfish sampling programme for the classification of shellfish beds, a recent sample taken from the shellfish bed at Heacham known as Stubborn Sands INNER, has returned bacterial levels exceeding the permitted threshold."It said the beds would routinely reopen after "two consecutive satisfactory results" were taken, but would now remain closed until was "at least", in part due to "a seasonal closure in August" which had taken place for the past two years due to "historic poor" test results in the summer month. The area affected impacts a private fishery and those with rights to the Wash fishing crews were "unaffected by this closure", the council spokesman harvesting of shellfish that occurs within the borough is regulated through the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and borough council's role is to ensure harvested shellfish come from areas monitored and classified in accordance with beach at Heacham near Hunstanton has been classified as poor by the Environment Agency since 2021, with the cause of the problem being disputed among experts and locals. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
12-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
North East shellfish die-off 'catastrophic' for fishing community
The mass-deaths of shellfish off the Teesside and North Yorkshire coast in 2021 has had a "catastrophic" impact on the mental health of the fishing community, a report has found. Thousands of crustaceans washed up dead along the area's beaches and a working group made up of councillors from across the region said the incident had affected fishers' livelihoods, as well as local tourism. No definitive cause for the die-off has been found but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it was likely to be due to naturally occurring harmful situation had an "extremely negative" impact on communities, a meeting on Friday heard. The aftermath of the event was a "fight for survival" for the districts' ecosystem and communities, said the report by a working group made up of councillors from Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton councils."Clearly, the impact on fishing communities has been catastrophic in certain areas," it said."Most areas along the coast in both directions from the Tees Mouth have experienced a fall-off in catch, the marine environment has been adversely affected in certain areas, and the number of vessels involved in inshore fishing has significantly diminished."Meanwhile, a senior environmental officer said the lobster population was recovering, though it was "not back to where it was".The crab population is "still a long way from that," the officer told a council suggested the creation of a hatchery to restore crab populations in the area should be explored. In 2023, North Yorkshire Council supported calls for a public inquiry into the crustacean die-offs and a public inquiry was formally requested by the working group in July Defra advised that an inquiry was unlikely to provide substantial new insights due to the length of time since the initial the meeting, a council environmental officer said there had been "clearly no appetite" in Government for a public working group called for financial support for the affected fishers and a reduction of red tape to help improve responses to future events, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. North Yorkshire councillor Phil Trumper said: "Other areas, such as farming, get financial support and we should be pushing the Government on that."One of the recommendations of the final report, which was also put forward to North Yorkshire Council's executive committee, proposed "financial support for ventures that might aid the recovery of marine ecosystems". Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
CTV News
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Canadian, American chefs to compete for $10K in P.E.I. competition
Twelve chefs will compete in the Garland Canada International Chef Challenge. (Source: Facebook/PEI International Shellfish Festival) Twelve Canadian and American chefs will compete for $10,000 in the Garland Canada International Chef Challenge at the PEI International Shellfish Festival this September. The contest requires the chefs to make dishes with shellfish as the star ingredient in just 45 minutes, according to a news release. 'The Garland Canada International Chef Challenge brings incredible energy and talent to the heart of the Shellfish Festival. It's thrilling to see chefs from across North America put their skills to the test using PEI's world-class shellfish,' said Zack Bell, minister of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport and Culture, in the release. Benet Hunt, from Saskatoon, won the 2024 competition and will be returning this year to defend his crown. Joe Martin from Bar Stillwell and Moira Murray from The Ostrich Club will represent Halifax at the contest. Kim McKeown from Leonhard's Café & Restaurant will represent P.E.I. Other competing chefs are: Tia Huszczo from Burford, Ont. Maya Petten from Clarke's Beach, N.L. Winnie Chen from Edmonton Alijah Casellas from Scarborough, Ont. Roshni Gurnani from Bellaire, Texas Joseph Mongillo from Markham, Ont. Brent Thornton from Vancouver Jae-Anthony Dougan from LaSalle, Que. The competition will run from Sept. 19 to 21 in Charlottetown. For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
Telegraph
06-07-2025
- General
- Telegraph
From sea to supper: Mark Hix cooks up a feast with scallops, lobster and octopus
Growing up by the sea, I've always felt spoilt when it comes to seafood. We had easy access, often swapping shellfish with local fishermen for my grandfather's tomatoes or his gardening tips. My school snacks were unconventional – freshly caught queen scallops from my friend's dad, splashed with vinegar and eaten in one bite. Sadly, those queenies have vanished from our coast, but scallop diving is prolific, which is great news for seafood lovers. I used to have half a dozen lobster pots but I don't get out on the boat as much anymore, so I passed them on to a fisherman friend. I loved hauling them in at the end of a trip – whether it was a good day or not, there'd usually be a crab or lobster (or two) for supper. Catching your own shellfish is incredibly satisfying, though nowadays it's more likely I'd be landing octopus rather than lobster. A few years ago, a fisherman friend of mine asked if I fancied some octopus. 'English octopus? I said. 'No thanks, they're chewy and tough.' He laughed. 'These are actually Mediterranean ones. They're eating all the lobsters!' Sure enough, when I went out the next day, the first few pots held only lobster shells. But then, there they were – two octopuses happily tucking into my catch. Many seafood lovers don't realise these invasive predators have moved into UK waters. They're hammering our shellfish stocks, and they're not leaving anytime soon. The buffet's rich and plentiful – though maybe not for much longer. Since My Octopus Teacher, the 2020 Netflix documentary of a filmmaker's unusual friendship with an octopus, public fascination with these brainy creatures has grown. But while our admiration for these creatures has risen, so too has the urgency to act. The sea is changing, and fast. I recently saw Ocean, David Attenborough's latest film, with my daughter, and it honestly brought a tear to my eye. When you've spent your life connected to fishing, those changes (for the worse) hit hard. And it's not just invading octopuses we need to worry about. After The End of the Line documentary was released in 2009, Bluefin tuna were labelled unsustainable. Now even mackerel are listed as endangered. Commercial fishing mates tell me sea bass are hugging offshore wrecks, hiding from predators – making them much harder to catch. These shifts in marine life are part of the ocean's natural rhythm, but climate and environmental changes are speeding things up, as is overfishing. It's time to rethink how we eat seafood, choosing species that can be sustained and treating them with the respect they deserve. My dishes here are perfect for making the most of what the sea's offering right now.
