Pollution leads to shellfish ban on Norfolk coast
There are fears they could be harmful if eaten
A ban on collecting shellfish off the coast of Norfolk’s ‘most noxious beach’ has been imposed due to fears they would be harmful if consumed.
West Norfolk Council has imposed the restrictions at Stubborn Sands after bacteria levels were found to exceed permitted limits.
The shellfish bed at Heacham is temporarily closed to commercial harvesting and members of the public have also been warned to avoid eating any shellfish from the area.
A spokesman for the council said: “A recent sample taken from the shellfish bed at Heacham, known as Stubborn Sands INNER, has returned bacterial levels exceeding the permitted threshold.
“While this closure applies to commercial operations, we are aware that members of the public may also collect shellfish from this area.
“Due to the elevated bacterial levels, we strongly advise against collecting or consuming cockles from this location, as doing so may pose a risk to human health.”
Heacham’s coastal waters are classified as “poor” by the Environment Agency due to the high levels of bacteria found there.
The water quality issues remain a contentious subject, with sea birds feeding on the mud flats of the Wash blamed for being the main cause of the problem.
Other issues include agricultural run-off, misconnections from properties along the coast and there are also fears sewage released from storm overflows during periods of bad weather could contribute.
In the summer months, warmer weather creates heightened levels of bacteria in the water.
Bans on collecting shellfish have been imposed in this area several times in recent years due to the risk to health.
West Norfolk Council said the beds would reopen following two consecutive satisfactory results. However, it is likely they will now remain closed until September.