The State Secretariat for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development announces the ban on the cultivation of oysters, scallops, mussels and cockles in the municipality of Penha due to the presence of diarrheal toxin. The removal, sale and consumption of these animals and their products is prohibited, including on the cliffs and beachfront in Armação do Itapocorói.

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The measure was necessary after laboratory tests to detect the presence of okadaic acid in bivalve mollusc cultures in the region. When consumed by humans, this substance can cause nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.

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“In Santa Catarina, monitoring of molluscs is constant and routine. Red tide is a natural process. We will continue to update the information and issue alerts until the situation on the coast of Santa Catarina is back to normal”, explains the secretary of the ministry, Ricardo de Gouvêa.

Balneário Camboriú remains banned

The cultivation of oysters and mussels in Balneário Camboriú are still banned and will only be released after two consecutive negative results. Cidasc continues to carry out collections to monitor the areas of production of shellfish and their surroundings. The results of these analyzes will define the release or maintenance of the ban on the affected areas.

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Constant monitoring

Santa Catarina is the largest national producer of molluscs and the only state in the country that carries out permanent monitoring of cultivated areas. The State Program for Hygienic Sanitary Control of Molluscs is one of the management and sanitary control procedures in the production chain, providing assurance and safety for producers and consumers.