Red tide levels up, shellfish warning issued

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The area directly around Boca Grande has very low to no red tide levels detected as of the December 2 report, but the blooms have shifted back and forth since then.

Lee County Health Department is issuing an advisory against harvesting and eating shellfish due to poisoning from red tide toxins in local waters. Shellfish sold in stores or restaurants are safe to eat.

This week the concentration reached the moderate to high levels in some local waters prompting the shellfishing warning. The Lee County Health Department has been monitoring local outbreaks of red tide alongside regional authorities for two months.

Scallops can be eaten if only the scallop’s muscle is eaten. Scallop stew, which uses the whole animal, should not be eaten. Edible parts of other shellfish such as crabs, shrimp and lobsters are safe to eat.

People with severe or chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic lung disease are cautioned to avoid red tide areas. Other individuals may experience varying degrees of eye, nose, and throat irritation while in the area of red tide, but their symptoms usually go away when they leave the affected area.