A sample of butter clams from Etolin Island have been found with high levels of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins, the Wrangell Cooperative Association's IGAP Department reports.
Kim Wickman, with WCA IGAP, said that a group of campers on Etolin Island gave them some clams to test for toxins, and they were found to be above regulatory limits. The clams that were tested had 110 ug/100 grams of PST, she said, while the limit is only 80. According to a June 13 PSA, shared on the IGAP Department's Facebook page, these clams were collected on June 6 at Steamer Bay.
Wickman recommended that people be careful when consuming wild shellfish. Butter Clams can hold their toxins for two to four years, she said, and other shellfish hold toxins for varying lengths of time. Paralytic Shellfish Toxins can come from plankton that the shellfish consume, she explained. The IGAP Department can perform tests on shellfish to check for toxins, she said, and she recommended that anybody who has harvested shellfish get them tested before consuming them.
A June 12 PSP report from the IGAP Department, shared on Facebook on June 16, states that a blue mussel sample from Shoemaker Harbor had toxins of 5 ug/100 grams, and butter clams from Shoemaker Harbor had toxins of 44 ug/100 grams. These are below regulatory limits.
Symptoms of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, according to the June 13 PSA, include tingling in lips and fingers, numb limbs, nausea, difficulty breathing, and even death. Anyone with these symptoms should seek medical care.
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