Shellfish growers fed up with raw oyster ban

Producers of shellfishin B.C. say they cutting jobs because of a month-long raw oyster ban in Vancouver.

The ban on the sale of raw oysters harvested locally was issued because the naturally occurring vibrio bacteria found in oystersgrows more rapidly in warm temperatures, health officials said.

But Roberta Stevenson, executive director of theB.C. Shellfish Growers Association says producers are testing the oysters and they meet health requirements,so the ban should be lifted.

"They are tested fivetimes more than they used to bewith the new Health Canada guidelines that are more stringent. Sowe are 100 per cent confident that beforethose oysters leave that processing plant they are completely safe to eat," she said.

Local oysters are being sold to customers in the rest of Canada and to theU.S., Stevenson said, so she doesn't understand why Vancouver Coastal Health isn't lifting the ban.

"We will lift the order when public health officials in B.C. are satisfied that oyster conditions in coastal waters are not at a level to be a food safety concern," said Vancouver Coastal Health in a statement.

There is no restriction on the sale of cooked oysters.

Ruining the image

The ban is ruining the perception of oysters,Stevenson said.

"Consumersthey just see it once in the back page of somewhere and they are worried forever.It does damage your brand, it is hard to get back to the stellar position we once had," Stevensonexplained .

Stevenson wants health officials to investigate otherlinks alongthe food chain to see where the contamination may beoccurring.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has lifted the ban for oystersharvested after Aug. 18, if theyhave been tested and meet updated food safety requirements.

To hear the full interview listen to the audio labelledShellfish Growers frustrated with raw oyster banwiththe CBC's Rick Cluff onThe Early Edition.