Toxins Cause A Pause In Scalloping Season In Pasco County

Nooooo!! Scalloping season in Pasco County is on hold because of poor water quality. Scalloping is one of my family's favorite things to do in the summer. The kids call it an underwater Easter egg hunt! But unfortunately snorkeling and scallop season just came to a screeching halt for boaters and snorkelers. The Florida Wildlife officials announced on Wednesday that they are temporarily stopping recreational scallop harvesting after potentially harmful levels of an algal bloom was detected.  Related: 5 Places To Check Out While Scalloping In Homosassa It's called Pyrodinium bahamense and can build up in shellfish. The toxins are colorless, tasteless, and have no smell. Even cooking the scallops cannot destroy the toxins. If a person were to consume the toxin in a scallop, they would become ill as soon as 15 minutes after ingestion with symptoms that can last up to 45 days. These symptoms include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, respiratory issues, and headaches.  Even cooking the scallops will not get rid of the toxins. The wildlife commission advised Thursday that any scallops harvested in the Pasco zone since July 22 should be thrown away. Most of the contaminated scallops were found mainly around the Anclote River. But closures include waters north of Anclote Key Lighthouse. Pasco waters are still open for fishing, boating, and swimming. Officials are hoping that these closures will help repopulate the scallops in the bay! So where else can you still harvest scallops? It may be a bit of a drive but Captainexperinces.com lists the best 8 places to go scalloping in Florida. You can head up to the Panhandle for a weekend getaway. The Steinhatchee River and the surrounding grass flats provide ideal conditions for scallops. Another good option is Chassahowitzka River in Citrus County. According to Tampa Bay Times, the waters will reopen when they test at safe levels established by the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.