Persistent High PSP Levels

Observation: This year for Sand Point, the PSP has been unusual. A usual year for Sand Point has good clam harvest from September to May. This year it has been different. In March the levels reached a high of 107 micrograms and then in April the levels went back down to 59 micrograms. Then its normal until July when they drop down below the FDA limit, which usually doesn't happen until September, but then when it dropped down to 19.2 micrograms in August we were unsure. There haven't been levels that low that I know of. The levels are testing regular now, but I thought I would share the unusual Butter Clam PSP results for Sand Point. The Community of Sand Point harvests Butter Clams when possible, usually every season except for summer. This year the community was uneasy about the unusual harvesting season. Karis Porcincula

Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association Consult: Bruce Wright, Senior Scientist writes, "The paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) results for Sand Point, Alaska (butter clams collected October 21, 2013 at Spit Beach) had PSP toxin levels of 56 micrograms/100 grams which does not exceed the FDA limit of 80 micrograms/100 grams. See the data on the attached graph or the Environment Alaska webpage. These samples were collected and analyzed as part of the Qagan Tayagungin Tribe’s Recreational Shellfish Pilot program funded through the State of Alaska. I believe some bays and coves are good places for Alexandrium, the organism that causes PSP, to flourish and we see annual summer PSP spikes in these location. Sand Point does not appear to be one of these places and may only have PSP peaks when the conditions in large regions such as the Gulf of Alaska are good for Alexandrium. Evidence is mounting that suggests deep snow packs may promote regional PSP events. So, let's see if this winter brings lots of snow and if this results in lots of paralytic shellfish poisoning. PSP levels will likely be different in adjacent beaches and will change with time. Littleneck clams usually do not reach as high of toxicity levels as butter clams and littleneck clam toxicity levels usually drop off quicker than butter clams. If you harvest/consume clams from Alaska beaches you should become familiar with all the clam species. Extreme caution should be taken when consuming any clams, scallops and mussels from Alaska’s beaches. The samples for this project are all analyzed by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation using approved analytical methods. Note that the FDA limit for PSP is 80 micrograms/100 grams, the red line on the attached graph. The data collection for this project will continue to Fall 2014. Data tables are at Environment Alaska. Past and current funding for the PSP project provided by Alaska Recreational Shellfish Pilot Program, Region 10 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (IGAP), North Pacific Research Board, NOAA Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms (MERHAB) Research Program and the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association."